


Spellbound

by Hissingwillows



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor!Maggie, Minor Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Minor Violence, Slytherin!Alex, a bit of a slow burn, maggie and alex are competitive as all hell against each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-01 17:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8631733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hissingwillows/pseuds/Hissingwillows
Summary: “Is first period Potions so low in attendance that they started bringing in Slytherins?”
Alex glances up from the table. A girl stands before her, arms folded despite the smirk on her face. Alex can’t decide if it’s friendly or mocking, but based on the red-and-gold Gryffindor scarf, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. “I have to take it to get all my N.E.W.T.s,” she explains, begrudgingly. “Otherwise I can’t be an auror.”
The grin only seemed to grow. “Auror, huh? Looks like I’m going to have competition.”
The professor’s voice interrupts them, harsh and full of irritation. “Sit down, Sawyer. Right by Miss Danvers will do.”
Both girls wince. Alex glances at the girl out of the corner of her eye as she moves to sit. This wasn’t how she hoped to start sixth year—stuck with a cocky Gryffindor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> look i'm WEAK for sanvers and I love Hogwarts AUs so here we go!  
> i'm dedicating this chapter to my friend aya, who has unfortunately been on the receiving end of too many unwarranted dick pics from old men... RIP  
> anyway! want to cry about sanvers or talk about this fic with me? hmu on tumblr @ wayhaughtie! im gay and love crying about sanvers!

Alex grips her sister’s hand tight as the horn of the Hogwarts Express sounds throughout the platform. Young wizards and witches dodge around them, pushing trolleys and carrying armfuls of bags. Owls screech and cats hiss as they are jostled by the passersby.

 

“You ready?” Alex asks, and squeezes her sister’s hand again. “Fifth year’s a big one.”

 

Kara grins brightly at her. She clutches her owl’s cage in her free hand, and she looks up to her other side, where their mother stands. “Of course I’m ready!” It was the start of her fifth year, while Alex would be beginning her sixth.

 

Eliza Danvers, their mother, ushers them closer to the train. “Come on, you don’t want to be late—and Kara, hold that cage up above the ground!”

 

Alex picks up her cat’s crate again as they hurry towards the train. Eliza stops them just before they reach the line of students that are filing into the train. She crouches down and pulls Kara into a hug. “You stay safe, you hear? I  _ will _ send a howler if I hear you’ve gotten yourself into trouble.”

 

“I won’t, I promise!” Kara laughs. “No sneaking out to Hogsmeade after hours.”

 

Eliza gives her a stern but gentle smile as she shakes her head. “No sneaking out  _ period. _ ”

 

Alex stands silently by as Eliza continues to pester the younger sister, asking if she’s remembered her cauldron and counted her vials and made sure to feed her owl and packed all her robes, and Alex finally sighs and interrupts, “Kara’s fine, Mom. I made sure she packed everything.”

 

Eliza turns her gaze to Alex. “Good girl,” she praises. “Make sure you take care of your N.E.W.T. classes, and keep an eye on Kara. I know things are… rough, but I need you to still take care of Kara. Okay?”

 

Alex nods, but doesn't say anything. Eliza frowns. “Alex, you need to promise. You might be living in that dungeon, but I expect you to watch out for Kara.”

 

“I’ll be fine…” Kara tries, but both ignore her.

 

_ She's just got to get another Slytherin jab in before I leave, doesn't she? _ Alex thinks dryly as she holds her mother’s stare for a few moments, before she looks down at her feet and replies, “Yeah, Mom. I know. I’ve got it.”

 

“Good.” Eliza stands back up and sighs. “You two better get on that train before all the seats get taken,” she says. Alex grabs Kara’s hand again and gives her a gentle tug.  _ The sooner we get on, the better, _ she thinks.

 

“Bye,” Alex mutters. She doesn't wait for her mother to hug her—she knows she won't be getting one.

 

“Don’t forget to write!” Eliza calls as Alex drags Kara towards the train.

 

Alex doesn't say anything as she turns away. There is nothing to say.

* * *

 

_ “Oh, you may not think I’m pretty, _

_ But don’t judge on what you see, _

_ I’ll eat myself if you can find _

_ A smarter hat than me. _

_ You can keep your bowlers black, _

_ Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_ For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat _

_ And I can cap them all. _

_ There’s nothing hidden in your head _

_ The Sorting Hat can’t see, _

_ So try me on and I will tell you _

_ Where you ought to be. _

_ You might be in Gryffindor, _

_ Where dwell the brave at heart, _

_ Their daring, nerve, and chivalry _

_ Set Gryffindor apart; _

_ You might belong in Hufflepuff, _

_ Where they are just and loyal, _

_ Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_ And unafraid of toil; _

_ Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _

_ If you’ve a ready mind, _

_ Where those of wit and learning, _

_ Will always find their kind; _

_ Or perhaps in Slytherin, _

_ You’ll make your real friends, _

_ Those cunning folk use any means _

_ To achieve their ends! _

_ So put me on! Don’t be afraid! _

_ And don’t get in a flap! _

_ You’re in safe hands—though I have none— _

_ For I’m a Thinking Cap!” _

 

Students cheer as the Sorting Hat finishes his chant, and they fall to low whispers with a wave from Professor J’onzz. The Headmaster of Hogwarts gives the students a rare smile and inclines his head in a short nod. “Welcome, students. Let us begin the Sorting Ceremony, and our feast may commence.”

 

A few students whoop at the mention of the feast, but are quickly hushed by the prefects. Professor Grant unrolls a scroll and begins to call names, and one by one, students line up to be sorted.

 

Alex smiles softly as she recalls her own sorting. She had been a Hatstall—the first in fifteen years, in fact, at nearly seven minutes of deliberating and internally debating with the Sorting Hat.

 

_ Alex had squirmed as the Hat was placed on her head. The Sorting Hat’s voice, deep and gravelly, sounded inside her mind as clearly as if he were actually speaking to her. _

 

_ “Hmm!” The Hat harrumphed. “Alex Danvers… interesting, interesting. I haven't seen such a complexity in some time. I see quite a bit of bravery, quite a bit of bravery indeed! A spot of ambition, hmm… but a strong sense of loyalty too. What to do with you?” _

 

_ Little eleven-year-old Alex had squeezed her eyes tight. She thought of the books she read, of how much she liked learning about spells and wizard history and even about muggle science, of how many times her mother said Slytherins were evil and untrustworthy and the remarks her father made about the dullness of Hufflepuffs, and she thinks that Ravenclaw is the obvious choice. “Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw…” she thought feverently. _

 

_ “Ravenclaw, eh? Wouldn't be a terrible choice, no. You have a thirst for knowledge that would be befitting of the house… and yet, I see within you a desire to protect those you love at any cost and a great ambition to achieve your goals. Nothing can stop you! Perhaps Slytherin would be a sound option…” _

 

_ “No!” Alex had retorted internally, trembling with the horror of the thought. “Anything but Slytherin!” _

 

_ “Anything?” The Sorting Hat had seemed to laugh. “Why the fear?” He paused and hummed thoughtfully before he chuckled, as though with a sudden revelation. “Ah-ha! I see a fear of scorn, do I not? And yet, Slytherin would be just the place to help you achieve your dreams… You hope to be an auror, yes?” _

 

_ Alex had only nodded in the slightest. Thoughts of all the ways her mother had insulted Slytherins ran through her mind, and she felt like she might be sick. _

 

_ “Hmm. Such a job requires courage, which I see much of in you, as well… perhaps I should consider Gryffindor…” _

 

The deliberating had been excruciatingly long, until the Sorting Hat had given a final  _ hmph _ and roared,  _ “SLYTHERIN!” _

 

Alex’s smile fades.  _ I was so excited to be sorted until he mentioned Slytherin, _ she thinks.  _ Then I was just afraid. _ She remembers how she had walked down to the Slytherin table, trembling at the thought of what her mother had said. And yet, the Slytherins had whooped and cheered at having her, and despite how… difficult they could be at times, she can't imagine what another house would be like.

 

“SLYTHERIN!” The Hat shouts, and Alex blinks. She’d missed the name, but she claps along with her house as a young girl, beaming, hurries down to join the table.

 

“Hey.” Alex looks up to see Lena Luthor, a fellow sixth year, slide onto the bench beside her. Lena had been another long decision—not quite long enough to be considered a Hatstall, but certainly long enough to make people curious. According to Lena, the Sorting Hat had gone back and forth between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and Alex could see why. Although Lena was certainly ambitious, she was also incredibly smart, and didn't seem have that stereotypical Slytherin ruthlessness to her. (Alex would never admit it, but she sometimes wondered if Lena was smarter than she was.)

 

“Where were you?” Alex asks. Lena and Alex weren't exactly friends—not that Alex really had many people she’d consider friends—but they'd been friendly ever since Alex had saved her life in their third year by stunning a Hippogriff that had been insulted by another student and had decided to start rampaging on them. Lena was one of the few Slytherins that Alex didn't feel would sell her out for the right price, and she figured the feeling was mutual.

 

“In the bathroom,” Lena says, breezily. “Did I miss anything?”

 

“I wasn't really paying attention,” Alex admits with a shrug.

 

A girl across from them, Siobhan, rolls her eyes. “Of  _ course _ you weren't,” she sneers.

 

Alex scowls as she makes eye contact with her. While Lena and Alex might not be the type of person Alex’s mother makes all Slytherins out to be, Siobhan is a classic Slytherin through-and-through. While clever and often charming, she was absolutely willing to stab anyone in the back if it meant she’d get a leg up. Once, in their second year, Siobhan and Alex had been competing for the place of being top of the class in Potions, and Siobhan had snuck out after hours, broke into the classroom, and rubbed Oil of Newt all over the inside of Alex’s cauldron, as well as the cauldrons of several other successful students. Their potions the following day went horrifically wrong, and Siobhan not only received top marks for the term, but was given a luck potion. Instead of using it for something like acing a test or ensuring she’d dominate in a duel, she gleefully informed Alex that the spoiled potions were her doing, drank the potion, and asked out the Hufflepuff boy who’d been flirting with Alex for weeks to the Winter Ball.

 

So, yeah, saying that Alex and Siobhan didn't get along was something of an understatement.

 

“Two boys and one girl to Gryffindor, a boy to Hufflepuff, and the last girl just came to us,” Siobhan sighs, casting Alex another incredulous look.

 

_ Oh, fuck off, _ Alex thinks.

 

“Ugh,” Lena groans. “Gryffindor better not get all the first-years. I swear, if we lose the House Cup to them  _ again _ , I'm going turn all their stupid scarves into weasels.”

 

Okay, so maybe Lena was a little more Slytherin than Alex often thought.

 

“I hear they've got a new captain for their Quidditch team,” Leslie Willis, a fifth year, says, as she leans in closer. “Apparently she's pretty good. Can't get a name, though.”

 

Alex snorts and crosses her arms. “Yeah, right. They're probably just bluffing. Either way, there's no way we’re losing to Gryffindor this year.”

 

“We better not,” Siobhan hisses.

 

Alex just rolls her eyes, and she smirks a little as she notices Lena do the same. Alex is both the Captain and Seeker for Slytherin’s team, while Lena plays as one of their chasers. Siobhan, however, hasn’t touched a broomstick since first year flying lessons, but that has never has stopped her from making snide remarks towards Alex when games don't go so well.

 

“Pick up a broom and  _ then _ you can talk,” Lena retorts, crossing her arms.

 

Alex can't help but grin at the way Siobhan immediately withers. Siobhan, for as terrible as she is, has always been desperate to be liked—and lately, she's been especially eager to have Lena befriend her.

 

Siobhan opens her mouth to say something, but the Sorting Hat interrupts her with a roar of “HUFFLEPUFF!”, and she glares silently at the young boy who scrambles down to join his house’s table.

 

“Whatever,” Siobhan sighs. They watch as the hat is lowered onto another boy’s head, but it has hardly touched his head for a moment before the hat declares he is a Gryffindor.

 

Lena lets out another groan and slaps her palm to her forehead. “We’re doomed,” she mutters dubiously.

 

The next three, two boys and a girl, are sent quickly to Gryffindor. The Hat deliberates for a minute apiece on the next two girls, before the first is sent to Slytherin and the next to Hufflepuff. Alex brings her attention back to Lena. “How was your summer?” she asks.

 

Lena scowls, and Alex has a feeling that she asked the wrong question. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve read the Prophet.”

 

Alex frowns lightly. “No,” she says. “Did something happen?”

 

“Ouch,” Siobhan sniffs. “Insensitive, much?”

 

Alex looks around at the table, but no one seems to want to answer. “What?” she asks. “Am I missing something here?”

 

Lena frowns and stares down at the table. “Well, if I don’t tell you, someone will. Lex was shipped off to Azkaban in June. Happy?”

 

Alex blinks, surprised. She didn’t know a lot about Lex Luthor, aside from his strong blood purity sentiments. She knew that Lena was close to him, and that Lena, like Kara, had been adopted into her family, but otherwise, Lena didn’t talk much about her family.  _ I’ll see if she wants to talk later, _ Alex thinks.  _ She wouldn’t want to do it like this. _ “I’m sorry,” Alex offers, quietly. “I seriously had no idea.”

 

“I’d ask you how yours was,” Lena murmurs. “But I  _ have _ been reading the Daily Prophet.”

 

Alex swallows thickly. “Um,” is all she manages.

 

Lena sighs. “I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm sure they'll find him.”

 

_ Maybe, _ Alex thinks. But she doesn't want to talk or think about…  _ that _ , and she stares down at the table silently.

 

“How many more kids until this is over?” Leslie huffs impatiently. “I'm starving.”

 

“Too many,” Alex mutters.

 

The rest of the Sorting, however, goes smoothly, and it isn't long before the last boy is sent to Hufflepuff.

 

“How many did we get?” Lena asks, a touch of hopefulness in her voice.

 

“Seven,” Leslie reports.

 

“And Gryffindor?”

 

“Eleven.”

 

Lena lets out a final groan of defeat before she leans forward and rests her forehead on the table. “I'm going to start paying extra attention in Transfigurations,” she mutters.

* * *

 

Later that night, after the festivities have ended, and after all the first years have been led to their respective dormitories, Alex sinks into her bed with a sigh. Her chubby cat is already fast asleep at the foot of her bed, and she figures that she can unpack her things after classes tomorrow.

 

“Hey, Alex,” Lena says, as she leans in the doorway to the girl’s dormitory. The wing is relatively empty, aside from a few girls who are already asleep. She seems to hesitate, as though remembering the awkward moment at dinner regarding their summers, and stares at the floor for a few moments before speaking. “Um, if you want, some of us are sneaking off to the Dueling Dungeon. A couple kids brought some Firewhiskey and some others got ahold of some Muggle liquor.”

 

Alex bites her lip. Part of her wants to. Slytherins, to their credit, knew how to have a good party, and she was already feeling a little shitty after dinner and wouldn’t be opposed to a drink or four.  _ Then again… _ Classes did start tomorrow, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to start off with a hangover.

 

“Another time,” Alex promises. “But I’m pretty tired.”

 

Lena smiles a little and nods. “Sure,” she says. “Next time. Night.”

 

Alex sprawls out on her bed and sighs again. She has a feeling this year is going to be a very long one.

* * *

 

Alex is awaken as a heavy stack of papers lands directly on her face. She lets out a tired grumble and pulls the papers off her face, and scowls as she realizes it’s the Daily Prophet. Kara’s barn owl sits, perched on Alex’s bedpost, clacking his beak impatiently.

 

“What do you want?” Alex asks, voice still hoarse from sleep. “I don’t have any food for you, and I’m sure as hell not giving you any cat food.”

 

The owl lets out a small  _ roo _ of displeasure and ruffles his feathers before he lifts off and flies off her bed, across the room, and straight up the chimney.

 

_ That can’t be safe, _ Alex thinks, dryly, before she sits up and glances down at the newspaper on her lap. She stiffens instantly at the headline and swallows.  _ Oh, Merlin’s beard… _

  
  


_ After nearly two months of searching, renowned auror Jeremiah Danvers is still missing after reportedly going after a number of radical blood purists. According to Minister Mardsin, Danvers was one of the top aurors in the Ministry before he went missing. Danvers was responsible for breaking up numerous radical groups throughout Europe, including those who made attempts to build a resurgence of Death Eaters. _

 

_ Led by Lord Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War, Death Eaters were infamous for their blood purity sentiments, and resorted to illegal curses to torture, maim, and kill those who stood in their way. Although ultimately stopped by Harry Potter, their beliefs are still strongly held throughout the wizarding world. _

 

_ Despite the recent election of Minister Mardsin and her efforts to promote peace between muggleborn and pure-blooded wizards, hate crimes seem to be spiking in recent years. Many wizards are wondering— are these just random acts of hate, or is another wizarding war headed our way? _

_ Cont. Pg 9. _

 

Alex’s mouth feels dry, and her throat is too tight as she balls the paper up before she throws it into the fireplace. There was no fire, and she didn't have the energy to grab her wand and incinerate it, but she's sure someone will burn it soon.

 

Alex bites back tears as she grabs her trunk and opens it to find her robes.  _ Damn the Prophet _ , she thinks, bitterly.  _ And damn that stupid owl for bringing it to me. _

 

Today is going to be, undoubtedly, a shitty day.

* * *

 

Alex trudges into the Potions classroom, hefting her cauldron and books to store away in the classroom. She isn't exactly thrilled by the idea of having N.E.W.T. level Potions first thing in the morning, but Professor Armstrong had told her it was the only way he could fit her into one of his N.E.W.T. classes this year.

 

Alex frowns as she sees the students already there. There are a few Ravenclaws, and two Hufflepuff boys, but the room is primarily Gryffindor, and Alex just heaves a heavy sigh as she sits on a stool at an empty table and sets her cauldron down.

 

“Is first period Potions so low in attendance that they started bringing in Slytherins?”

 

Alex glances up from the table. A girl stands before her, arms folded despite the smirk on her face. Alex can’t decide if it’s friendly or mocking, but based on the red-and-gold Gryffindor scarf, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. “I have to take it to get all my N.E.W.T.s,” she explains, begrudgingly. “Otherwise I can’t be an auror.”

 

The grin only seemed to grow. “Auror, huh? Looks like I’m going to have competition.”

 

The professor’s voice interrupts them, harsh and full of irritation. “Sit down, Sawyer. Right by Miss Danvers will do.”

 

Both girls wince. Alex glances at the girl out of the corner of her eye as she moves to sit. This wasn’t how she hoped to start sixth year—stuck with a cocky Gryffindor.

 

Professor Armstrong clears his throat, and the students still standing quickly find seats and fall silent. “Thank you,” he begins. “Welcome to N.E.W.T level Potions. You are here, presumably, because you need the grade to get some top-notch job, or you wouldn't be wasting your time here. This class will  _ not _ be easy, and I will not give you an Outstanding just like that. That being said, I'm trying out a new method this year…” he yawns as he settles down at his desk and puts on a pair of glasses. “You will each have a partner to work with for the duration of the year. This partner will be whoever you are currently sitting with— and no, Mister Schott, they will not be negotiable.”

 

Alex glances over her shoulder to see a Ravenclaw boy’s hand drop, face looking crestfallen.

 

_ Me too, _ she thinks, looking back at the girl beside her and grimacing.  _ Me too. _

 

The girl has the nerve to  _ stick out her tongue _ .

 

“What are you, five?” Alex hisses.

 

The girl just rolls her eyes.

 

“What's your problem?” Alex demands, already seething. “Did I step on your robe on the way in?”

 

“Danvers!” Professor Armstrong barks. “Keep it down. I'm not finished.”

 

The Gryffindor girl beside her casts her a triumphant grin, and Alex just burns with rage.

 

Armstrong began to drone on about how they were expected to study with their partner outside of class and would brew potions in class in their pairs. He then went on to talk about Potions safety, and Alex began to seriously consider banging her head against the desk—both out of boredom from this first year nonsense and out of utter irritation towards the girl beside her, who just seemed to grow more infuriatingly amused every time she looked at Alex.

 

Finally, Armstrong dismisses them, telling them to be prepared to brew tomorrow, and the students begin to collect their things.

 

The Gryffindor girl smirks again as they both stand. “Looks like I'm stuck with you.”

 

_ God _ , Alex was going to hate that  _ stupid _ , dimpled smile. “I–I–” Alex stammers furiously, before she spits, lamely, “I'll have you know that I'm  _ great _ at making potions.”

 

The girl just raises and eyebrow and snorts. “We’ll see.” She offers Alex her hand. “Maggie Sawyer.”

 

Alex scowls and crosses her arms. “Alex Danvers.”

 

“Right…” Maggie says, and closes her fist before she drops her arm awkwardly. “Guess I'll be seeing you around, Danvers.”

 

“Don't count on it,” Alex mutters as she whips around and storms out of the Potions room. She doesn't care that she will obviously have to be seeing Maggie soon.

 

_ Fuck this day, _ she thinks.  _ And fuck Maggie Sawyer. _


	2. Wizard's Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So,” Maggie says, as she sits down on a cushion. “You ever played wizard’s chess?”
> 
> Alex snorts. “I said I was great at brewing potions, not that I lived under a rock.”
> 
> “Excellent,” Maggie grins devilishly before she turns around and grabs a board from behind her. “Then we’re playing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so glad that y'all are so excited for this! and i'm glad you guys like the sortings- if you've enjoyed angry slytherin Alex, get ready for some more angry slytherin alex  
> hmu on tumblr @wayhaughtie!

 

When Alex sits down at her table for Potions, she is _not_ in a good mood. Normally, Alex enjoys potions—she wasn’t lying when she stammered out that she was great at potion-making— but now, all she can think of is how she is stuck working with this _annoying,_ pretentious, and horribly smug Gryffindor.

 

Maggie sits down beside her, and the girl has the nerve to grin at Alex like they’re old friends. “Morning,” she says.

 

Alex seriously considers telling her to fuck off, but instead, she fumes silently, only acknowledging Maggie’s greeting with a slight huff.

 

Maggie, however, doesn’t seem fazed. “What do you think we’ve got to brew?” she asks. “I swear, if we’re stuck making Hair-Raising potions, I’m going to eat my broomstick.” She seems almost disappointed when Alex doesn’t laugh, and rolls her eyes before she looks away.

 

“Class has begun,” Professor Armstrong declares loudly, and those still standing scramble for their seats. When he seems satisfied, he picks up a large, clear bottle from his desk that is filled with a pale blue liquid. “Your first potion of the term,” he begins, as he opens the bottle and pours the contents into the cauldron that sits on his desk. “Whoever can guess what it is gets five house points.”

 

When no one moves, the professor scowls and waves them up. “Well?” he demands. “You won’t be figuring it out by sitting there like startled first-years!”

 

Alex hurries out of her chair and up to the front of the classroom. Maggie leans over her shoulder, much to her annoyance, and stares into the cauldron. “What do you think it is?” she whispers.

 

Alex glares as she ducks away. “Like I’d tell you!” she hisses in reply.

 

The professor doesn’t seem to notice as he steps back to make room. “Go on, smell it,” he instructs. “Someone tell me what they smell.”

 

“Lemon drops and… musk?” A Ravenclaw girl says, frowning.

 

“No, it smells like a pot roast and turmeric,” a Gryffindor boy argues.

 

Alex closes her eyes as she leans in and inhales. The potion smelled nothing like that—it was confusing. It smelled like peppermint candies and cinnamon and pot stickers and fresh earth after the rain all at the same time. “That’s not right,” she says. “I smell—”

 

“Oh!” Maggie interrupts her with a gasp. “Oh, I know—it’s Amortentia!”

 

Professor Armstrong grinned. “Very good, Sawyer. Five points to Gryffindor. Another five if you can tell me what it does.”

 

Alex rolls her eyes as she steps away. _Of course he’d offer more points to her,_ she thought. Armstrong was the head of Gryffindor, and had a tendency to favor his house’s students. (Which was not to say that the other house heads _didn't_ favor their students, but Armstrong was certainly more obvious about it.) _Lena’s going to love hearing about this._

 

Maggie glances over her shoulder to toss Alex a smirk before she looks back at the professor and explains, “Amortentia is the world’s strongest love potion. Everyone smells it differently because you perceive it based on what scents attract you. That’s how I figured it out.”

 

“Excellent, Sawyer,” Armstrong praises. “Another five for Gryffindor, then.” He ignores the groans of the various non-Gryffindor students in the room as he continues. “Amortentia is considered a love potion, although, in truth, there is no way to replicate actual love with magic—only an obsessive state. Amortentia is highly dangerous, and yet, it is a N.E.W.T. requirement, so you’ll be learning to make it. Back to your seats.”

 

“I heard there's a rumor that there's a whole fountain of the stuff somewhere in the Ministry,” Maggie says to Alex as they return to their desk.

 

“I don't care,” Alex grumbles. (She does care. She finds rumors about the Ministry absolutely fascinating but she certainly isn't about to give Maggie the satisfaction of knowing that.)

 

Alex had already grabbed her belongings from the cauldron cupboard, and it seemed Maggie had done the same. Alex starts to arrange her tools in preparation for the brewing; setting out the knives and vials and moving her scales out of the way of her cauldron.

 

“You don't even know we have to do yet,” quips Maggie.

 

“I'm getting ready,” Alex retorts. After a moment, she adds, under breath, “You Gryffindors are so damn _annoying_.”

 

Maggie, however, remains as infuriatingly unbothered as always. “You're just mad that I scored Gryffindor ten points,” she informs Alex. “And your house still has _none_.”

 

“We’ll who's winning after Quidditch starts up,” Alex retorts. “Your house lost every game last year to us.”

 

Maggie snorts and easily replies, “Yeah, which is why we voted the captain off the team. You're going to get crushed this time.”

 

Alex nearly shatters a vial with her grip. _Maybe turning the Gryffindor scarves into weasels isn't the worst idea Lena’s ever had,_ she thinks, ruefully. “Oh yeah?” she tries. “Who's supposed to be _that_ good that your whole team is just going to turn around like that?”

 

“Me,” Maggie says breezily, and Alex thinks she wouldn't mind having an aneurysm right then and there.

 

Then Alex actually does break the vial, as she slams her fist directly onto the table.

 

Professor Armstrong, of course, sends her out of the classroom immediately. There is glass in her hand and glass on the floor and blood on the table and really, Alex couldn't blame him.

 

She could, however, wholeheartedly blame him for making Maggie escort her to the infirmary.

 

Alex tries to protest, to no avail, and the next thing she knows, she's heading down the hall with Maggie Sawyer, clutching at her wrist as her hand sears with pain.

 

“I piss you off that much, huh?” Maggie remarks, as though truly amazed, as they start heading up the stairs. Alex might have actually punched her, given how furious she continues to grow, if it weren't for her injured hand.

 

“Yeah,” Alex grumbles, gripping her wrist tighter. “You’re a fucking asshole.”

 

Maggie gives her an imploring look. “Me, an asshole?” she, somehow, seems surprised. “And just what did I do to you?”

 

“You… you…” Alex fumbles, and her face flushes in embarrassment as she realizes she has nothing. Sure, Maggie had cast her one too many snarky grins, but really… she hadn’t actually _done_ anything to Alex. Hell, she’d even tried to shake Alex’s hand.

 

 _Goddammit,_ Alex thinks. She has no good reason to hate Maggie and they both know it.

 

“That’s what I thought,” Maggie says loftily. “ _You_ , however, have _definitely_ been a huge asshole.”

 

“Whatever,” Alex fumes.

 

“Typical Slytherin,” Maggie retorts. “You all hate people for no reason and then refuse to admit when you’re wrong about _anything_.”

 

“Oh, _please_ ,” Alex snaps. “You Gryffindors act like you’re so much _better_ than the rest of us.”

 

Maggie snorts. “At least _we_ aren’t so judgmental.”

 

“What?” Alex protests furiously. “You literally just said I was a “typical Slytherin”!”

 

And then it is Maggie’s turn to huff a quiet “Whatever,” under her breath as she crosses her arms and finally, finally, finally fucking scowls.

 

It shouldn’t give Alex any satisfaction, but it absolutely does. She doesn’t even realize that she’s laughing until Maggie gives her an odd look and demands, “What?”

 

“You cracked!” Alex laughs. “God, I was getting so sick of that stupid smirk of yours.”

 

Maggie’s eyes widen. “I do not _smirk_.”

 

“Oh, yes you do,” Alex informs her as they step off the stairwell and start to walk through the empty hall towards the Hospital Wing. “You know how many times you’ve done that annoying Gryffindor smirk? You _all_ do it. Fuck, even Kara does it sometimes, and she’s the only Gryffindor that _isn't_ an insufferable jackass.”

 

“Kara?” Maggie frowns, before her eyes widen again. “Oh, _Kara._  She’s your sister, isn’t she?”

 

“Yeah,” Alex says, before she shakes her head. “But that’s not the point.”

 

Maggie just rolls her eyes again before she glances down at Alex’s hand. It's still bleeding, and blood has dripped onto Alex’s robe. “Shit, Danvers,” she remarks. “You want me to try healing it? I’m for sure not as good as an actual healer, but I’m not half bad.”

 

“No,” Alex immediately replies, quite sourly, despite the pain in her hand. She’s learned to grit her teeth and bear pain by now, and even though it hurts like hell, she doesn’t want this damn Gryffindor to be taking pity on her.

 

Maggie grabs her by the shoulder and sighs as she digs out her wand. “Look, just let me do a spell. It’ll be fine.”

 

Alex considers refusing again, but as she looks down at her bloody mess of a hand, she frowns and stops walking. “Fine.”

 

Maggie reaches out for Alex’s bleeding hand and holds it, palm facing up. Alex watches silently as Maggie traces her wand over the cuts the glass had made in her hand and murmurs, “ _Vulnera Sanentur._ ” Alex’s eyes widen as the blood on her hand seems to seep back into her wounds. “ _Vulnera Sanentur._ ” The cuts began to slowly close. With a final whisper of “ _V_ _ulnera Sanentur_ ,” the wounds seal themselves, leaving behind thin lines where Alex’s hand had been cut open.

 

Alex pulls back her hand and examines it. Aside from a dull ache, the pain is gone, and there isn’t a trace of blood on her hand. “Okay,” she admits. “That was pretty cool.”

 

Maggie raises her brows expectantly, and Alex sighs, “Thank you.” After a moment, she adds, “I guess I’m, um, sorry I’ve been an asshole to you.”

 

Goddammit, Maggie was smirking again. “Apology accepted. So… how are we going to make up missing brewing the Amortentia?”

 

“Fuck,” Alex groans. “I almost forgot.”

 

“It’s fine,” Maggie shrugs. “I’ll check with him while you go to the Hospital Wing. I’m sure you don’t need me to hold your hand while you get treated?”

 

Alex glowers. _And she’s back to being an ass._ “I’ll be fine.”

 

“Great!” Maggie spins around on her heels and waves over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

 

 _Unfortunately,_ is all Alex can think.

* * *

 

“Merlin’s beard,” Siobhan snarls as she snatches a roll and practically throws it on her plate. “I'm going to turn that Mike Monell's dinner plate into a _viper_ if he doesn't stop blowing it up right next to me in Transfiguration.”

 

“Good day in classes, then?” Alex asks dryly. She glances down at her own bandaged hand and frowns.

 

“Lovely,” Siobhan replies.

 

“Well, some stupid Gryffindor got on my nerves and I broke one of my vials,” Alex explains wearily. “So I think I win the shitty day award.”

 

“What stupid Gryffindor?”

 

 _God hates me,_ Alex thinks, as she turns around to see Maggie standing behind her, hands on her hips. (Of course, she's still _fucking_ smirking.)

 

“Everyone,” Alex sighs. “Meet stupid Gryffindor.”

 

“I'm hurt, truly,” Maggie says, placing a hand over her heart. She gives Lena and Siobhan a friendly smile. “I prefer Maggie, but I guess “stupid Gryffindor” is a solid runner-up.”

 

Lena laughs. “Alex, _this_ is the girl you were raving about?”

 

 _I'm going to kill her,_ Alex thinks dubiously, scowling. _Either that or I'm going to feed myself to the giant squid._

 

“Anyway,” Maggie says, looking back down at Alex. “How's the hand, Danvers?”

 

“It's fine,” mutters Alex, who certainly does _not_ want to hear Maggie boast about how most of the healing was her handiwork.

 

Maggie, of course, boasts anyway. “I had to patch it up beforehand,” she tells them. “It was bleeding all over. I think she must have some _seriously_ shaky hands or something. She smashed that vial _right_ into the table.” She grins as the other Slytherins around them chuckle, and Alex begins to wonder just how satisfying punching Maggie Sawyer in the nose would feel.

 

“Anyway,” Maggie repeats. “Danvers, Armstrong said we could make it up if we finished a potion by tonight and left a vial in his office. I've got a free period after lunch, what about you?”

 

Alex truly considers lying, but she sags her shoulders and mutters, “Yeah, that'll work.”

 

“Great. I'll grab you at the end of lunch.” Maggie has the audacity to ruffle Alex’s hair before she turns and saunters off.

 

Lena laughs again after Maggie leaves. “She's interesting.”

 

“She's annoying,” Alex argues, as she hurried to smooth her hair. She glares at Maggie’s back as the Gryffindor sits back at her own table. “And I hate her.”

 

“Oh, you don't _hate_ her,” Lena snorts as she piles four rolls on her plate.

 

“I do too!” Alex protests, snatching one of the rolls off Lena’s plate. She sticks her tongue out before she takes a bite.

 

No, she doesn't _hate_ Maggie Sawyer, but she sure as hell isn’t fond of her, either.

* * *

 

At the end of lunch, Alex attempts to slip out of the Great Hall, but Maggie is somehow at her side the instant she steps foot in the corridor. “Hey there, Danvers,” she says. “C’mon, don't want to keep the good professor waiting, do we?”

 

Alex furrows her brows as Maggie leads her to the moving staircases. “And where exactly are we going?”

 

“Gryffindor Common Room, obviously,” Maggie says over her shoulder. “Hurry up!”

 

They head up the staircase—making sure to step over one of the false steps near the middle—and the staircase ascends as they climb.

 

“Won't we get in trouble?” Alex asks. “I shouldn't be in your Common Room.”

 

“Oh, no one will be in there,” Maggie says, dismissively. “Besides, who cares? You wouldn't be the first non-Gryffindor to go in.”

 

Alex doesn't know how to argue with that, so she follows Maggie off the staircase without complaint.

 

Maggie leads her down a corridor Alex has never been through before—after all, she has never actually visited the Gryffindor Tower, despite Kara living in the house.

 

At the end of the hallway, they reach a great painting depicting a large woman. “This is the Fat Lady,” Maggie explains, before she looks up at the painting and says, “Kneazle.”

 

The Fat Lady seems to peer keenly at them before she declares, “Why, that is _not_ a Gryffindor!”

 

“Look, Lady,” Maggie argues. “We’re just studying. If you let her in, I promise to tell you later what I heard Peeves call Nick yesterday.”

 

The Fat Lady sighs heavily. “Fine!” The portrait swung forward, revealing a passageway into the Common Room.

 

“See?” Maggie says, leading the way into the Gryffindor Tower. “Easy.”

 

“What _did_ Peeves call Nick?” Alex asks, curiously. The ghosts of Hogwarts always seemed to be getting into it with each other, and their drama was often pretty amusing, until it got out of hand and led to half of them shrieking and chasing each other through the corridors in the middle of the night.

 

“Oh, that?” Maggie laughs. “Haven't come up with it yet. But I'll make sure it's funny enough to get the Fat Lady not to say anything.”

 

Alex cracks a small smile. “You're horrible.”

 

The Gryffindor Common Room is quite cozy, Alex would give them that. There was a grand fireplace against one wall, and the room was filled with large chairs and cushions on the floor for lounging.

 

“So,” Maggie says, as she sits down on a cushion. “You ever played wizard’s chess?”

 

Alex snorts. “I said I was great at brewing potions, not that I lived under a rock.”

 

“Excellent,” Maggie grins devilishly before she turns around and grabs a board from behind her. “Then we’re playing.”

 

Alex frowns. “We need to do the potion,” she argues. “I'm not failing Potions because of you.”

 

“Of _course_ we’re going to make it,” Maggie reassures her. “But that doesn't mean we can't play _one_ game first.”

 

“One game?” Alex asks, doubtfully. “And _then_ you'll shut up and help me make it?”

 

“Cross my heart,” swears Maggie, grinning, as though she already knows she's won.

 

“ _One game_ ,” Alex repeats firmly. “Now, where are your pieces?”

* * *

 

Four games in, Alex is regretting not spending a few galleons on her own set before school started.

 

The trouble with using the sets of other wizards tended to be that the pieces liked to talk back. Especially if they didn't know you.

 

“But I don't _want_ to move to A6,” the rook sighs. “What if I just stayed right here? Why don't you move the _other_ rook?”

 

“I _said_ to A6,” Alex insists, and defeated, the rook begrudgingly slides itself towards the spot.

 

“But _last_ time I moved to A6, I got smashed to bits,” the rook grumbles, and Alex wants to smash it herself.

 

Maggie, however, is grinning like a kid as she instructs her bishop to destroy one of Alex’s knights.

 

“Are you always this bad at chess?” Maggie asks as they set up their fifth round.

 

“I am when the pieces won't fucking _cooperate_ ,” Alex groans.

 

“Hush,” Maggie laughs. “I'm pretty sure they already hate you.”

 

“Whatever,” Alex sighs. “Pawn to E4.”

 

“Pawn to D5,” Maggie says. “So, what _is_ your deal?”

 

“Excuse me?” Alex asks. “What do you mean? And Knight to C3.”

 

“Pawn to F5,” Maggie instructs, before she looks back up at Alex. “I mean, what’s with your shitty attitude towards me? Did I insult you or something? Because, like we’ve already clarified, I’ve done nothing to you.”

 

“Bishop to D3,” Alex mutters. “I don’t have… I don’t have a shitty attitude.”

 

Maggie tells her pawn to destroy one of Alex’s before she says, “Oh, yes you do. You’ve been glaring at me since we met. And you’re always huffing and muttering and grumbling whenever I say anything. Damn, you didn’t even laugh when I said I’d eat my broomstick.”

 

Alex swallows. _Okay, maybe I have had a shitty attitude._ “Knight to E4,” she says. She clasps her hands in her lap and stares down as her knight leaps over a few squares and obliterates Maggie’s pawn. _I guess... I guess it’s because of Dad._ “It’s just…” Alex hesitates before she says, “The summer was really shitty and I keep having to read about it in the stupid Daily Prophet. I refused to read the papers over the summer and now that I’m here the damn owls just keep dropping them on me.”

 

“Oh,” Maggie says, and falls quiet for a moment. “What happened? If you don’t mind, I mean.”

 

Alex bites her lip. “Have you seen the headlines about the missing auror?”

 

“Jeremiah Danvers?” Maggie asks, before her eyes widen. “I—oh, shit. I didn’t even… I didn’t put that together. He’s your dad, huh?”

 

“Yeah,” Alex says, softly. “Yeah, he is.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Maggie says, truthfully. “I get why you’ve been… angry. I’d be angry too.” After a moment, she adds, “If it makes you feel any better, my girlfriend broke up with me a week before school started.”

 

Then it’s Alex’s turn to blink in surprise. _Girlfriend?_ She thinks, astonished. _Girlfriend as in… as in dating? Maggie dates girls? Maggie’s…_ “Oh,” is all she manages. “Oh, um. I’m sorry.” Alex frowns a little before she asks, “And why would that make me feel better?”

 

If Maggie notices her surprise, she doesn’t point it out. Instead, she just smiles a little. “I figured my struggles would give you the least bit of satisfaction.”

 

“Oh, shut up,” Alex says, rolling her eyes. “I’m not _that_ much of an asshole. Do your damn move.”

 

They play for a few more minutes without talking further, but Alex doesn't feel quite as uncomfortable anymore.

 

Maggie is, again, certainly on her way to winning and Alex’s pieces are back to complaining.

 

“Why do _I_ have to go to B5?” Alex’s pawn moans. “I don’t _want_ to get crushed by the queen!”

 

“Just _do_ it,” Alex groans.

 

Maggie watches, grinning with amusement, as Alex’s pawn sighs and whacks the head off of a black pawn and takes it’s place. “Well, it wasn’t wrong. Queen to B5.” The queen slides across the board and impales Alex’s pawn.

 

“Why can’t _my_ pieces just do what I say without complaining?” Alex sighs.

 

“Oh, don’t act like mine are any worse than anyone else’s,” Maggie laughs lightly. “They _all_ complain if someone other than their owner uses them. Which is why I always bring my own set when I play with someone else.”

 

“I need to invest in my own pieces,” Alex mutters.

 

A few moves later, and Maggie’s queen is swinging her sword through Alex’s king for the fifth time, and Alex is shaking her head in defeat.

 

“Okay, I’m done,” she says. “We need to work on this potion.”

 

Maggie grins. “Had enough of getting your ass kicked, Danvers?”

 

“We’ll see who’s getting their ass kicked when Quidditch starts,” Alex grumbles. “But we actually _do_ need to make this potion.”

 

A steady rapping on the window cuts off any response from Maggie, and they both glance up to one of the tall windows to see Kara’s owl beating his wings furiously outside and tapping his beak against the window. Clutched in his talons is a roll of paper, which Alex realizes is none other than a newspaper. _Oh, god,_ she thinks. _Not the fucking Prophet again._

 

Alex frowns as Maggie gets up and opens the window to let him in. He lets out a low hoot as he flies in and drops the newspaper on Alex’s lap and lands on the fireplace. He ruffles his feathers expectantly, and Alex glares at him. “Why do you always look at _me_ like that?” she demands. “You’re _Kara’s_ owl.”

 

“He’s awfully handsome,” Maggie says, and she reaches into her robe to pull out a scone. She crosses the room and hold it out, and the owl lets out a pleased coo before he pecks at the pastry.

 

“He’s a huge bother,” Alex mutters. “I got a cat for a reason. I don’t want a bird dropping this shitty newspaper on me every morning, and yet, he never leaves me alone.”

 

“What’s the headline?” Maggie asks, glancing over her shoulder.

 

Alex glances down at the paper, and her stomach churns. _Well, at least it’s not about Dad,_ she thinks. Not that the thought actually makes her feel any better.

 

 

**_Hate Crimes Continue to Strike Diagon Alley_ **

 

_In a year of rising reports of anti-muggleborn attacks, three more violent crimes have occurred over the past weekend. The most recent, which occurred late last night in Diagon Alley, marks the fiftieth of such attacks. It is currently unknown if these attacks are part of a radical group's efforts, or simply inspired by the rising trend of crimes against muggleborn wizards. Currently, thirteen of the fifty crimes remain unsolved, and the only known connection is the blood heritage of the victims._

_Minister Mardsin was available for comment yesterday morning regarding the first two attacks. "All we can say is that these radicals seem to be purposefully targeting wizards born to muggle parents," comments Mardsin. "We ask that wizards and witches remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior to the proper authorities."_

_Cont. Pg 9._

 

“Shit,” Alex says, quiety, as she finishes reading the blurb. “Fifty hate crimes this year.”

 

Maggie leans against the fireplace, expression unreadable. “No offense,” she says, after a long few moments. “But I’m surprised you care.”

 

Alex looks up and glares. “Fuck you,” she says, furious all over again. “What, because I’m a Slytherin, you think I’m a blood purist? Go to hell, Sawyer.”

 

“Honestly?” Maggie asks, unfazed. “Yeah. Your house has a reputation for a reason. I’ve paid attention in History of Magic. Slytherin was the only house Lord Voldemort tried recruiting students from, and it paid off. Even _now_ most of your housemates are pretty shitty towards muggleborns.”

 

Alex stands up, hands clenching into fists. “Go fuck yourself,” she spits. “You don’t know me or my family. You know _nothing_ about my house. Do the potion yourself.”

 

“Wait, Danvers—” Maggie tries, but Alex is already heading for the portrait.

 

“Don’t,” Alex snaps. “I’ll see you in Potions on Monday.”

  
With that, she practically throws the portrait of the Fat Lady off the wall as she storms out of the Gryffindor Tower. _I fucking hate Maggie Sawyer,_ Alex thinks, and this time, she means it.


	3. The First Quidditch Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is determined to utterly destroy Maggie in the upcoming Quidditch match on Friday. The owls, however, seem to have other ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for all you amazing comments! i'm so glad y'all are loving this so much!  
> anyways, have fun with a quick glimpse of drunk alex...

“Alright, listen up,” Alex says. She stands in the Quidditch Pitch field with the rest of her team mates. Courtesy of Lena’s good family money, they were able to purchase the brand new _Nimbus 2010_ broomsticks for the whole team, and team spirit was relatively high as a result. There were, however, concerns over the new Gryffindor Quidditch team’s captain, and Alex wanted to hit the next person who mentioned Maggie over the head with her broomstick. “Our match against Gryffindor is this Friday after classes. I want to get in as much practice as we can, alright? We are _not_ losing the first match of the season, and _especially_ not against Gryffindor.” Alex crosses her arms and adds, “If we do lose, I'll consider holding tryouts to find replacements for whoever screws it up the most. Our team has been solid for the last two years, but that doesn't mean I won't replace you if you drag this team down.”

 

_That_ got their attention. The players began muttering, but they stand up a little straighter. “Alright,” Leslie says. “What's the strategy?”

 

“Sawyer’s new to being a captain,” Alex explains. “She’ll want to prove to her team that she's capable, and she'll probably have them take some risks. They're pretty likely to have some new members overall, since one of their Chasers graduated and their Beaters were terrible. Ultimately?” she grins a little. “We’ve got the better brooms—thanks to Lena, of course—more experience, and tougher players. As long as we warm up enough, practice some basic strategies, and you all keep the Bludgers off my back, we’re going to _destroy_ them.”

 

The team cheered at that.

 

“You haven’t let us down yet,” Lena says, grinning. “If you say we’re going to win, we’re going to win.”

* * *

 

Later that Sunday, Maggie sits in the Gryffindor Common Room with her teammates.

 

“Listen up!” she orders. “We’ve got less than a week until our first game. I know some of you are new, and positions have been a bit switched around ever since we kicked Donovan off the team, but I’m sure if we make some good plays we’ll be able to do just fine.”

 

The team is sitting around a table set up with a crudely drawn map of the Quidditch pitch laid out on top. A few chess pieces are set to the side to be used to mark positions for the team. Maggie glances around her teammates hopefully. “So?” she says. “Let’s go over some strategies.”

 

The six Gryffindors all scoot closer. Lucy Lane, a seventh year, looks at her expectantly. “Well?” she asks. “What’s your plan, Maggie?”

 

Maggie glances back at Lucy. “Well, you’ve been playing the longest. What can you tell us about them?”

 

Lucy shrugs a bit. “I mean, there’s not much to tell. They say Slytherins are cunning for a reason. They’ve pretty much always got a trick up their sleeve, and they’re not usually opposed to cheating a bit.” Quickly, she adds, “Of course, ever since that Alex Danvers became Captain, they’ve been a little less… well, _ruthless_ , but they’re still pretty damn tricky. We’ve been trying to come up with strategies to outsmart them for years and it’s never worked.”

 

Maggie sighs. _Of course,_ she thinks. _No wonder we lost. Nobody knows what the hell to do about them._ She glances to one of their newest additions to the team—none other than Alex’s own sister, Kara. “What about you?” she asks. “Your sister’s the Captain.”

 

Kara blinks rapidly, as though startled. “Oh!” she swallows and straightens her glasses. “Um. No,” she says, a bit sheepishly. “Not really. She never discussed Quidditch strategy with me because I didn’t start until this year. I haven’t actually, um, told her that I’m playing.”

 

Maggie leans back with another sigh. “Okay…” _Well, maybe that will at least surprise Danvers. Maybe I’ll get lucky enough that she falls off her broom._ She hadn’t seen Alex since the Slytherin girl had stormed out of the tower on Tuesday, and she wasn’t exactly sure how she should go about trying to talk to her. Part of Maggie felt guilty about how things had gone down, but another part of her was a little bit angry. _Why was she so defensive?_ She wonders. _Seems pretty guilty to me._

 

“Maggie,” Briana Vasquez says, a bit loudly. “Hey! I asked you when we were going to actually do some flying.”

 

“Sorry,” Maggie replies, shaking her head. _Stop thinking about that Slytherin jackass,_ she tells herself. “We’ll be doing practice on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturdays. After classes on Monday and Wednesday, and an hour after lunch on Sunday.”

 

“Donovan only made us practice _two_ days a week,” grumbles Alphonse Lozano, a beater.

 

Maggie glares at him. “Yeah, and that’s why we lost every fucking game against Slytherin.”

 

They don’t complain after that.

* * *

 

Come Monday morning, Alex is slightly less furious, but certainly just as bitter. Professor Armstrong is lecturing today about the uses of Syrup of Hellebore and how to extract it properly from the non-toxic plants, and Alex is bored out of her mind.

 

Alex and Maggie have sat silently for the first twenty minutes without speaking until Maggie finally glances at her. “Hey,” she says, quietly.

 

Alex doesn’t look at her. _I don’t care what you have to say,_ she thinks.

 

Maggie hesitates, looking back up at Armstrong, before she tries again. “Hey, Danvers. I made the potion. Armstrong said he’d give us both the credit.”

 

Alex glances at her briefly, out of the corner of her eye. She bites her lip and looks back ahead as Armstrong holds up two examples of types of Hellebore flowers, before she looks at Maggie again. “Thanks,” she says, begrudgingly.

 

Maggie stares down at the table again, clearly uncomfortable. “Yeah,” she finally says. “No problem.”

 

“...You should by now know that Hellebore is used in Draught of Peace and the Volubilis potions,” the professor drones on. “But potioneers are currently experimenting with it in other potions. However, it’s been difficult to create any stable potions…”

 

“Can I talk to you?” Maggie asks, suddenly. “After class, I mean.”

 

“I have Charms,” Alex says, dryly. “No.”

 

“So skip it,” Maggie insists. “It’s just water-making spells.”

 

Alex crosses her arms. “Maybe I want to learn how to make water,” she says, stubbornly.

 

“No, you don’t,” Maggie argues.

 

_No,_ Alex agrees, privately. _I don’t._ Instead, she retorts, “I do. Shut up and let me pay attention.”

 

“Oh, you already _know_ all of this,” mutters Maggie.

 

_Yeah,_ Alex thinks. _I do._

* * *

 

By the time the first Quidditch match rolls around, Alex still hasn’t spoken to Maggie aside from the occasional _can you pass me the dragon blood_ and _it’s six drops, not four_ and _for the love of god you’re supposed to crush the seeds, not just drop them in_ during Double Potions on Tuesday morning.

 

Alex, however, refuses to think about that annoying Gryffindor aside from how badly she wants to beat Maggie (and the rest of the team, of course, but she certainly wants to see the look on Maggie’s face when she loses) on Friday.

 

Professor Carr, who most students referred to only as “Snapper”, stands in the center of the Quidditch pitch field as the two teams walk out of their tents. “Alright,” he begins. “I won’t lecture you much, just play a clean game and we won’t have any problems. You hear?”

 

Alex stares hard at Maggie, and the two hold eye contact for a few long moments before the professor says, “Good. Captains, shake hands, and we can begin.”

 

Alex and Maggie each take a few paces forward and shake hands.

 

“Good luck,” Maggie offers.

 

Alex scowls. “You need it more than I do.”

 

The professor either doesn’t notice the jab or doesn’t care, and he waves them back to their teams before he orders, “Alright. Mount your broomsticks!”

 

The students in the stands cheer as both teams climb on their broomsticks. Alex grins at the way the Gryffindors seem to squirm at the sight of their sleek new brooms, until…

 

“Kara?” Alex chokes, shocked by the sight of her younger sister in the crimson Quidditch robes of the opposing team. “What the hell?”

 

Kara’s eyes go very wide before she stammers out, “Sorry, sorry! Meant to tell you! Sorry—”

 

The younger Danvers sister is cut off by Snapper’s whistle, and the students roar with excitement as the teams shoot up into the air.

 

“Fuck, fuck,” Alex mutters as she lifts off a few moments after the rest of her teammates.

 

The voice of Winn Schott, a fifth year Ravenclaw, booms out on the enchanted loudspeakers. “And the teams are off! The Quaffle is taken almost immediately by Gryffindor’s newest Chaser Kara Danvers—she’s passing it off to Sachin McGill— _OH!_ He’s intercepted by Slytherin Chaser Leslie Willis, nicely done—passed off to Lena Luthor, but it looks like she’s taken a Bludger to the shoulder already! The Quaffle is dropped!”

 

Alex dodges the second Bludger before she flies a bit higher, out of the way of the business of the players. _Where’s the Snitch… Where’s the Snitch…_

 

She doesn’t see the Snitch, but she _does_ see Maggie in the Keeper’s position miss a catch as Lena throws the Quaffle through a hoop.

 

“SLYTHERIN SCORES!”

 

The Slytherin students whoop in excitement.

 

Alex continues to scan from above. _Damn shame Maggie isn’t a Seeker,_ she thinks. It would be _just_ that much more gratifying to beat her if they were both seeking. She finds Gryffindor’s Seeker, Lucy Lane, flying slow circles overhead as well, clearly trying to follow the same strategy as Alex—stay out of the way of the other players and find the Snitch.

 

“Leslie Willis is in possession—nope, knocked out of her arms by a Bludger—Chaser Danvers takes the Quaffle… look at her go! She ducks Gabriel Phillips, weaves past Luthor, and she gets ready to take the shot—Keeper Veronica Sinclair is diving to block—missed—GRYFFINDOR SCORES!”

 

Alex rolls her eyes as Maggie pumps her fists in the air and the Gryffindor house cheers and applauds, waving their banners in the air. She watches as Kara dives for the Quaffle again and ducks around both Lena and Leslie. Even if she was a little shocked that Kara hadn’t said anything to her, she had to admit… Kara was already pretty good. She makes a mental note to talk to her sister later, but she starts a little as Lucy Lane suddenly dives down in a straight line, whizzing straight down towards the ground. Alex watches her for a split second, tightening her grip as though to follow, but she relaxes after a moment and leans back again.

 

_The Wronski Feint,_ she thinks, shaking her head with a snort. Gryffindor had tried that tactic countless times last year—diving down to distract the opposing Seeker and attempting to get them to crash into the ground. Alex catches Maggie’s eye again, and she smirks at Maggie’s disappointed frown. “You’ll have to do better than that!” She shouts, and Maggie’s frown deepens.

 

In her distraction, she misses a throw from Gabriel and Winn’s voice booms out, “SLYTHERIN SCORES AGAIN!”

 

Maggie looks back up at Alex and raises a hand as though to flip her off, but her eyes widen and her mouth drops. She urgently points up in the air, past Alex, and Alex crosses her arms.

 

_Like I’d fall for a stunt like that,_ she thinks. _Does she seriously think I'd look away?_

 

“Aaaand Chaser Luthor is speeding towards the goalpost, blocked by Danvers, Danvers is in possession again—oh, and she’s taken a Bludger to the broomstick! Kara Danvers is spiraling down—wait, what the hell is…” He ignores a scolding remark from Headmaster J’onzz, and continues, “The owls!” he chokes out. “THE OWLS!”

 

Alex tears her eyes away from Kara—who, thankfully, manages to halt her descent with a spell—to turn around and look towards the castle. She swallows. “Shit,” she says, quietly. _Maggie wasn’t fucking around._

 

Up in the air, pouring out of the West Tower, are the owls. En masse, like a dark cloud, they spiral upwards into the sky before Alex reaches the conclusion that they are all flying directly towards the Quidditch field.

 

_Oh, fuck me._

 

It takes less than a minute for the owls to reach the field, and students start to scream. The owls break from their mass to dive bomb the spectators, and a handful attempt to pursue those on broomsticks. Alex dives down for a moment to avoid a screeching snowy owl.

 

Winn Schott’s voice on the speakers is the only thing she can make out from the din of screaming students and owls. “Owls are flying down on the students—SHIT!—sorry, professor, almost got hit in the face—looks like the players are still trying to play out the game, despite the owls—Luthor scores while Sawyer gets hit in the chest by a Bludger, looks pretty painful—one of the owls is diving for Kara Danvers—wait, no! It’s going after the Snitch!”

 

Alex starts immediately, and she looks down hurriedly. She lets out a yelp as both the Snitch and pursuing owl fly upwards, nearly striking her in the face. She rights herself before she takes off after them.

 

After a moment, it registers that the owl, despite its apparent vendetta against the Golden Snitch, has a rolled newspaper clutched in its talons. _What the fuck is it with these owls and the Daily Prophet?_ She wonders, but she hardly has time to ponder this thought as she dodges a Bludger and swerves around four more owls, each of whom are holding newspapers.

 

“Seeker Alex Danvers is in pursuit!” Roars Winn, as he ducks another hefty owl. “Not even the owls are stopping Slytherin’s star Seeker! Oh, and look—Gryffindor scores!—wait, no, that was just an owl. Actually, looks like Luthor is scoring across the field—owls are making it hard to see—and an owl flies into Sawyer’s face and Luthor scores again! That’s twenty points for Slytherin!”

 

A few Slytherins cheer, but most are occupied with ducking owls or attempting to stun them with spells.

 

Alex follows the Snitch as it suddenly dives down, and the owl collides with a hefty great horned owl. They both drop their copies of the Prophet and let out noisy hoots in the confusion. Alex dodges the falling newspapers as she points her handle down to follow the Snitch.

 

Suddenly, Lucy flies straight past her, cutting her off, and Alex is forced to rear up for a moment to avoid a collision. “Dammit!” she shouts, before she dives down again. Lucy makes a sharp turn to follow, but runs smack into Vasquez, who was attempting to outfly a pair of mad owls, and they both nearly tumble off their brooms.

 

“The owls are really causing some interference,” remarks Winn. “Looks like Seeker Lane is still trying to regain herself and Kara Danvers is just getting back in the air after that Bludger—Sawyer blocks the Quaffle, but it looks like some owls are after Danvers as she catches it—Alex Danvers is still after the Snitch! Kara Danvers passes the Quaffle, and the owls seem to follow—McGill drops the Quaffle again!”

 

A Bludger shoots towards Alex like a cannonball, but Gabriel Phillips flies in just in the nick of time to give it a whack and send it flying towards Maggie. Alex doesn’t check over her shoulder, but judging by the resulting string of curses, she assumes it hit Maggie again.

 

Inch by inch, Alex gains on the Snitch, despite its best efforts to feint left and right. She leans forward, taking one hand off her broomstick to reach for the tiny golden ball.

 

“—She’s closer, and closer, and—oh, here comes a Bludger!”

 

Alex’s eyes widen as a heavy Bludger slams directly into her back. She flies off her broomstick, with a shout of “SHIT!”, and the Snitch hits her chest as she is propelled through the air. Alex frantically slaps her hands over her chest as she falls towards the ground, capturing the Snitch.

 

“ _Arresto Momentum_!” shouts Snapper, and Alex is halted in midair, just three feet above the grassy ground of the field. She sighs in relief as she drops again, and is able to land safely on her feet. Alex stumbles a bit, back aching from the impact of the Bludger.

 

“Danvers is safe!” Winn shouts. “But does she—”

 

“Oh!” Alex shakes her head, still a little stunned, before she clenches a fist around the still-flapping Golden Snitch and holds it up for all to see. “I’ve got it!”

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, Danvers has the Snitch!”

 

Snapper holds his wand to his throat to amplify his voice and declares, “The game is over, with another one-hundred-and-fifty points for Slytherin. Slytherin wins!”

 

Alex, laughing in relief and excitement, falls back on the grass to sit, holding her back. With the swarming owls, the Bludger bruising her back, and not expecting Kara to be playing, this game was certainly going to be unforgettable.

* * *

 

_Breaking news this morning straight from the Ministry of Magic. In a year marred by crimes against muggleborn wizards and witches, an investigation into one of the thirteen unsolved cases has resulted in the arrest of suspect John Corben in relation to the murder of one muggleborn witch, Susan Tsung. After Minister Mardsin released an official order allowing the use of Veritaserum in Corben's interrogation, Corben admitted to being involved in an effort to revive the group of dark wizards known as Death Eaters._

 

_Corben, however, fell into a tortured state soon after revealing his involvement in this terrorist group, injuring himself several times before he was restrained and hospitalized late last night. The Ministry has not yet released a statement addressing Corben's state of mind and current injuries, although speculations are rising that Corben was under the influence of a curse._

 

_John Hartmann, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, was available for comment regarding the situation. "The Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and Auror Office will be working together in this investigation," states Hartmann. "We are taking this matter very seriously, and want to echo the Minister's sentiments on reporting suspicious behavior to our offices. We thank you for your cooperation in the matter, and promise that we will remain vigilant in putting a stop to these efforts."_

 

Maggie sighs and leans back as she folds her arms across her chest. “Well,” she says. “Shit.”

 

It’s dinnertime in the Great Hall, but despite the Slytherin victory this afternoon, even their table is very, very quiet. The owls, who’d bombarded the match, had all been bearing this copy of the Daily Prophet, but no one could make heads or tails of why the birds had been behaving so strangely.

 

“My dad’s been worried sick,” Sachin McGill says quietly. “Over the summer, he thought about taking me out of Hogwarts, but my mum convinced him I’d be safe here.”

 

Maggie smiles sympathetically. Sachin was a muggleborn wizard, and she was sure this news wasn’t doing him any good. “This is… a lot to take in,” she manages. “Death Eaters, all over again… It's almost hard to believe.”

 

She looks down the table, and notices Kara Danvers, who is looking very small, and very, very pale as she stares down at her own copy of the Prophet. “You alright there, Danvers?” she calls.

 

Kara looks up and swallows visibly as she adjusts her glasses. “Oh—I… I'm alright,” she says, but judging by the tremble in her voice and the lack of color in her cheeks, she is certainly _not_ alright. “Just… just surprised, is all.”

 

Maggie frowns as the fifth-year gets up and smooths out her robes. “Um, excuse me,” she mumbles, before she hurries towards the Slytherin table and taps her sister on the shoulder. Maggie watches as Kara whispers something to her, and Alex pushes away her own plate as she stands up. They both head out of the Great Hall.

 

Maggie sits up a little straighter. _Should I go after them?_ she wonders. Maggie was torn—on one hand, she didn't know Kara well, and Alex was still pissed, but on the other, Kara _was_ her housemate and teammate, and she was definitely concerned. Maggie bites her lip before she too stands and hurries off in the direction they left in.

 

Maggie ducks around the corner and heads down an empty hallway. She catches the sound of voices ahead, and rounds the corner to her right to see Alex and Kara hugging.

 

“It'll be okay,” Alex is saying, chin resting on Kara’s head. “I promise. I promised Mom I'd take care of you, and that's what I'm going to do.”

 

“I'm—” Kara stops as she glances towards Maggie, and she jumps away from Alex. “Oh–oh, hello, Maggie.”

 

Alex crosses her arms, looking as furious as ever. “What's your deal, Sawyer?”

 

Maggie lifts her chin. _Don't let her get to you,_ she thinks. _She’ll just think you're being a sore loser._ “I saw Kara leaving and got worried,” she explains. “She's my housemate and the best damn Chaser I've got, so I was concerned.”

 

Kara smiles and flushes a little at the compliment. “I said I was fine, really…”

 

“You sure didn't look fine after you read the paper,” Maggie replies.

 

Kara bites her lip, but Alex holds out a hand to stop her. “This isn't about _Kara_ ,” she growls. “This is about me. You want to talk? Fine. Let's talk. You and me, right now.”

 

Kara actually seems relieved, and she pulls her pointed hat on a little tighter before she says, “Well, I'll talk to you later,” and ducks her head as she retreats back the way they'd came.

 

Maggie leans against the wall as they face each other. _She's right,_ she thinks. _This is about her_.

 

“Well?” Alex demands. “You wanted to talk. Talk.”

 

Maggie sets her jaw, and is silent for a moment, before she says, “Fine. What was up you last week? Everything was fine until the owl dropped off the papers.”

 

“No,” Alex counters, sharply. “Everything was fine until you accused me of being a blood purist.”

 

“Okay, I didn't—” Maggie tries.

 

“No,” Alex cuts her off. “You don't get to pretend. You didn't say it outright, but you sure as hell might as well have with the way you were going on about Slytherins.”

 

Maggie considers this with a frown. “Okay,” she relents. “I guess so. But still, I don't see why you had to get so—”

 

Alex interrupts her again. “—Kara is muggleborn,” she spits, and Maggie flinches at the severity in her tone. “My parents adopted her when I was eleven. She was orphaned before she could remember her parents, and no one could connect to her any families, so their best guess was that she's muggleborn.”

 

_Oh, shit,_ Maggie thinks, guilt washing over her. _I'm such a… fuck. I really fucked up this time._

 

“That's why she was so freaked out,” Alex continues. “Because she's _afraid_. Afraid some terrorist freak is going to try to kill her in Diagon Alley or in our next trip to Hogsmeade or any time we aren't in this school. _I'm_ the one who looks out for her. _I'm_ the one who keeps her safe. And you accuse _me_ of being some…” she grimaces at the words— “Some shitty _Death Eater_ sympathizer just because of the house I got sorted into.” Alex stares down at her feet and suddenly adds, “And I didn't choose Slytherin. Slytherin was the absolute last place I want to be. I wanted to be a _Ravenclaw_. But because of that stupid magic hat, I got put in _this_ house so I could get judged by _assholes_ like you.”

 

Maggie thinks a lot of things as Alex finishes speaking. Thinks that Alex is right—that she is an ass, thinks that Alex might've made a great Ravenclaw with the way she scolds her for doing anything wrong in Potions, thinks that Alex sure has a whole lot of baggage, thinks that some of what Alex said was probably not actually _about_ Maggie, or not entirely, at least, but all she manages to say is, “I'm… I’m really sorry.” At Alex’s doubtful expression, she elaborates. “I just… My mom was a student here.” Maggie says. “She was muggleborn, and your house was… let's just say they weren't kind. Not that they've ever been good to me,” she adds.

 

“What do you mean?” Alex asks, and Maggie is relieved to find that her tone is a little less harsh.

 

“I mean…” Maggie looks down a for a moment. _Why am I telling her this?_ “I mean that growing up a non-white, non-straight, half-blooded witch hasn't exactly made my childhood an easy one.”

 

“Oh,” Alex says, very quietly. Maggie searches her for any sign of scorn or disgust—sure, she might have mentioned her ex, but straight people had a tendency to do anything they could to pretend ‘girlfriend’ always meant ‘a girl that is my friend’ and 'breaking up' referred to 'our friendship is over'—but her shoulders slack as she finds none.

 

Alex seems to deflate a little as she continues to process what Maggie has said. She bites her lip and looks away before running a hand through her hair. “We’ve both been assholes, I think,” she finally says. “Both of us.”

 

Maggie smiles a little. “Yeah,” she says. “I guess we have been.”

 

Alex is quiet for a while again, until she asks, “Uh… want to come to a party tonight?”

 

Maggie takes that as Alex’s way of apologizing, and she doesn’t turn her down. It’s obviously a party for the Quidditch match, and it’s obviously going to be a Slytherin party, but, hey, Alex was trying, and that counted for something.

* * *

 

The Weird Sisters’ “ _Do the Hippogriff”_ is blaring through the Slytherin Common Room as the victory party is in full swing.

 

Alex joins Maggie in the corner of the dungeon. The green lights are dimmed, and it’s hot and a little clammy from the mass of nearly all the Slytherin students, as well as the few outsiders invited, who are dancing and cheering and drinking firewhiskey or choking down some Dragon Barrel Brandy. Alex offers her a cup of the former, which Maggie wordlessly accepts, only thanking her with a slight nod.

 

After Maggie takes a sip and grimaces as the taste, she says something, although Alex can’t hear her over the noise of the song and other students.

 

“What?”

 

Maggie grabs her arm and pulls her closer. “I said you guys know how to party!”

 

Alex laughs as she drinks more of her own firewhiskey. Her stomach was warm and her back didn’t hurt so much and most of her house had cheered when she came in and, fuck, even Siobhan couldn’t find a way to insult her, and she was feeling _good_. “Maybe you should come to our parties more often,” Alex replies, loudly. She’s aware of the sloppy grin on her face, but she doesn’t try to hide it. Maggie isn’t so bad, she figures, she’s just… a _Gryffindor_ , and Gryffindors always think they know everything, but Maggie isn’t so bad. She really isn’t, and Alex can’t quite remember why she hated her so much at first.

 

“Boy, you’re _really_ drunk, aren’t you?” Maggie raises her brows with a light smirk, and Alex flushes as she realizes that she’d said all of that out loud.

 

“I may have already had a cup of this,” Alex admits. “...and two shots of the brandy.”

 

Maggie laughs again, and Alex’s smile widens. Maggie has a really nice laugh, she thinks, and she tells her as much as she leans against the wall next to Maggie. She doesn’t notice the way Maggie blinks in surprise, the way Maggie gives her a perplexed look, as though reconsidering any previous notions she had about Alex, doesn’t notice the light flush in Maggie’s cheeks.

 

Eventually, when Maggie has caught up to Alex a little in the way of drinking, they both find themselves sitting on the floor, still in the corner.

 

“Okay, okay,” Alex slurs, before she snickers at herself. “There is _no_ way I am standing up again tonight. Somebody’s gonna have to carry me to bed.”

 

Maggie laughs, much louder and much longer than she would have if she had been sober. “Oh, please,” she says. “No one is gonna carry you… you’re too fucking tall, Danvers. Which, why are you so _fucking_ tall? What the hell?”

 

Alex snorts and shakes her head. “I’m not tall,” she argues. “You’re just ridiculously short.”

 

“You’re, like… a _foot_ taller than me,” mutters Maggie, stubbornly. “That’s… what the fuck? I ask again, _why_?”

 

“I can’t be more than… three inches taller than you,” Alex says. “You’re so _dramatic_.”

 

They carry on like this for another minute, before they go back to snickering and muttering dubiously about the other partygoers. As the night wears on, the party starts to come to an end, and most of the guests have already left, and the Slytherins are either hanging around to fumble with the radio or have stumbled off to bed.

 

“I should probably go,” Maggie finally sighs. It takes her a moment to stand up—she nearly falls over once, and Alex falls into another quiet laughing fit—and she steadies herself against the wall. “You going to be fine right here?”

 

Alex blinks up her, slowly, before she says, “I forgot how to walk.”

 

“Oh my god,” Maggie rolls her eyes and holds out a hand. “And I thought _I_ was drunk.”

 

Alex takes her hand and lets Maggie pull her up to her feet. Alex stumbles forward and wraps her arms around Maggie in a way that is half-hugging, half-leaning against her so she doesn’t tumblr right over flat on her face. “You’re really nice,” Alex slurs. “Can we be friends? I don’t have… don’t really have friends.”

 

Maggie holds her up, a little stiffly. “Sure, Danvers,” she says, although she’s pretty certain Alex won’t remember any of this come morning. “You need help getting to bed?”

 

“Mm,” Alex mumbles, and Maggie takes that as a yes.

 

It’s a wonder Maggie is even standing (she certainly drank more of that firewhiskey than she would like to admit), so dragging Alex to her bed is no easy feat. Alex mumbles out a tired “‘Night,” as she flops into her bed, and Maggie draws her curtain shut for her before she too stumbles out of the Slytherin Dormitory to make her way back to her own bed across the castle.

 

_Well,_ she thinks. Maggie would like to pretend that the warm, almost burning feeling in her chest is just from the firewhiskey, but she knows very well that it most certainly is not. _I’m fucked._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maggie........ that's gay......


	4. Patronuses and Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena decipher a letter while Alex joins a club, goes on a date, and ends up more confused than ever.

Alex wakes up with a groan of pain. Her head feels like it’s been hit repeatedly with a Bludger, and last night is a blur of dancing Slytherins and firewhiskey. And Maggie. She can recall sitting with Maggie, but she isn’t exactly sure how she made it from the common room to her bed without passing out or throwing up. (Well, she hopes she didn’t throw up, at least.)

 

She blinks drowsily as the curtains around her bed are pulled back, and Lena looks down at her, amused. “Rise and shine,” she chuckles. “Glad to see you decided to join the living.”

 

Alex sits up and holds her head. “Ugh,” she moans. “What the hell happened last night?”

 

“Honestly?” Lena moves to sit at the foot of Alex’s bed, and her fat cat blinks before he lets out a _mrrh_ and rolls away. “For you, not much. You invited that Gryffindor girl—who is the Captain of their Quidditch team, by the way—to the party and you hung out with her all night. In the corner, and you didn’t even dance. You guys just sat there laughing at each other until the party was over.”

 

Alex squints at Lena. “That’s it?” Usually, her party experiences end up with her drinking too much Dragon Barrel Brandy and dancing on a table or playing spin the bottle and kissing some of the Slytherin boys.

 

“That’s it,” Lena affirms. “Doesn’t seem like you.”

 

“Believe you me, I’m just as surprised,” Alex grumbles.

 

“Did you and Sawyer make up or something?” Lena asks. “Last time I saw you two together, you were pretty certain you hated her guts.”

 

Alex shrugs a little. “I guess you could say that. She doesn’t seem so bad anymore, she’s just…”

 

“A Gryffindor?” Lena asks with a light smirk.

 

“A Gryffindor,” Alex agrees, laughing a little, before she lets out another groan and rubs her temples. “Fuck, where the hell is my wand? This hangover is killing me.” She digs her hands into the pockets of her robes to find it still there—clearly a result of not changing before passing out—and thankfully, she didn’t break it in her sleep. She presses the tip to her forehead and mutters, “ _Ebrios remedium,_ ” and sighs in relief as the headache melts away. She sits up a little straighter, less woozy and certainly less hungover.

 

“Well, you missed breakfast,” Lena says, as she reaches into the folds of her own robe. “But I stole some of these for you.”

 

She passes Alex two biscuits, and Alex gives her a grateful glance before she takes a bite. “Thanks,” she mumbles. “I’m starving.”

* * *

 

Later that morning, after Alex has finally gotten out of bed, changed, and is heading out to the bathrooms to find a free shower, she runs into Maggie in one of the corridors.

 

“Hey, Danvers,” Maggie says. She’s smiling, and it isn’t that usual mocking Gryffindor-y smirk, so Alex takes that as a sign that they didn’t get in another fight last night. “Nice to see that you learned how to walk again.”

 

Alex flushes. “Wh-what?”

 

Maggie laughs and crosses her arms. “Last night,” she explains. “I told you I was leaving and you told me you forgot how to walk.”

 

“Oh my god,” Alex groans. “At least it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever said while drunk on firewhiskey.”

 

They’re quiet, for a few moments, and neither seems to know what to say until Maggie looks up at her curiously and asks, “You busy, Danvers?”

 

Alex shakes her head. “No, I was just going to see if I could find a shower in one of these damn bathrooms.”

 

Maggie’s lips quirk up in a slight smile, one that was quite reminiscent of when she’d convinced Alex to play chess instead of brewing their potion, and Alex knows she's in for something. “You wanna come to a club with me?”

 

“A… club? Like the potions club?” Alex asks, confused. The Hogwarts ‘clubs’ were more like small study groups where you could earn extra credit. She’d tried joining the potions club in her third year, hoping for a chance to learn about potions she wouldn’t in class, only to find that it was lead by Professor Armstrong himself, and they were just perfecting brewing the potions they’d already learned about.

 

Maggie snorts, but her smile grows. “Not exactly. There’s no teacher. It’s more of a group where we… I guess we mostly practice Defense Against the Dark Arts. But it’s not a class thing, and we’ve been learning loads of stuff the professor doesn’t teach us.”

 

Alex raises her brows, interest piqued. _That… might actually be cool._ “Sure,” she says. “Why not?”

 

“Great,” Maggie grins. “Follow me. I’m actually a bit late, so we’ve got to go pretty quickly.”

 

Together they head through the halls, passing various students along their way, until Maggie pulls her down one deserted, dusty corridor. There’s no rooms aside from broom closets down this way, and Alex frowns in confusion. “What are we doing down here?” she asks.

 

“You’ll see,” Maggie replies simply. She starts to pace back and forth, and Alex starts to wonder if Maggie was making up this club.

 

“Uh, Maggie…”

 

“Shh, you’re distracting me,” Maggie tells her, as she stares up at one blank wall. “I’ve to concentrate.”

 

“On?”

 

Before Maggie can reply, a great oak door begins to materialize in the wall, and Alex stumbles back in surprise. “What the hell?” She grabs Maggie’s arm. “What the… how did you do that?”

 

Maggie just grins. “You still haven’t run into the Room of Requirement? Damn, Danvers, you really gotta get around this castle some more.” She grabs Alex’s hand and pulls her towards the door.

 

Alex glances down at their hands, a little surprised, but she doesn’t pull her hand back. Maggie opens the door and leads her in.

 

The room is huge, and though a few students glance up at them, most are casting spells at each other or at tall dummies that hang from the wall. A few older students walk back and forth, offering suggestions and praise, and Maggie turns around to give her another big grin.

 

“Welcome to Dumbledore’s Army.”

* * *

  _Lena,_

 

_It never ends exciting, darling. You own ugly red helmets. Everyone loves prison. Even scary Corben and Pierre in need, God. All zoo keeping absolutely becomes awfully nasty. We really in trouble. Enjoy imagining sea art? Mother excited, come onward, dearest._

 

_Especially,_

 

_Lex_

 

_P.S. Every first letter you've sent has been good to receive. Please write back soon. Big things happening._

 

Lena has read the letter for the eighth time, and with each reading she grows more confused and more infuriated. The letter from her brother might as well have been literal gibberish.

 

_Probably would have made more sense than… whatever this is,_ she thinks, bitterly, before she throws to to the foot of her bed. Lena had written three letters for her brother since he was sent to Azkaban, and until now, she figured he either didn't receive them, couldn't reply, or just didn't want to.

 

Part of Lena thinks she would rather him have not replied at all than send her… _this_.

 

“What the fuck?” she says aloud, as she lays back on her bed. _What's his deal?_

 

Lena’s relationship with her brother had been strained ever since he was accused of being involved in crimes against muggleborn wizards. While all of Lena’s family had their rigidly held beliefs, she'd never actually expected one of them—and certainly not her brother—to actually act on them. Even as he was being arrested, she refused to believe it could be true, until the very day of his hearing. He was found guilty of killing seven muggleborn wizards and conspiracy to murder more, but Lena wondered if the true number was higher. It made her sick to think about it, and she only felt worse when she learned that her family felt apathetic about the ordeal.

 

_“Mudbloods aren't like you and me,”_ she recalled her mother saying in regards to the trial. _“Perhaps you'll understand one day.”_

 

But Lena already knew this was wrong; knew it from the four years she spent in the orphanage with largely muggleborn wizards, knew it from her fellow students, knew it from her own damn common sense and decency.

 

For a moment, Lena curses her house for making her so lonely. Although she did like Slytherin, and wouldn't now want to have been sorted any other way, it did have its downsides. While the students in other houses befriended their housemates (and often even students outside their house) with ease, the Slytherins were far too aware of the negatives of each house, including their own, to actively seek out friendships.

 

So, in the end, while Lena had many people she could grab a butterbeer with in Hogsmeade, she wasn't close enough to anyone who she could talk about something like this with. Hell, even with Alex, who she probably enjoyed the company of the most, she wasn't sure she would really call her a friend. They weren't actually close, and neither had ever shared anything that was considered terribly personal.

 

Lena sighs as she closes her eyes. _I'll read it later,_ she thinks. Maybe it would all make more sense if she just tried to read it again.

* * *

 

“Dumble… Dumbledore’s Army?” Alex chokes out, surprised. “But that was… Dumbledore’s Army was made when Umbridge wouldn’t teach real Defense Against the Dark Arts and the students involved were… basically rebels.”

 

Maggie laughs lightheartedly. “Oh, it’s more like an overrated club now,” she explains, smiling. “But it still keeps it’s name for dramatic effect.”

 

“Huh.” Alex crosses her arms. “Why are you guys hiding in the Room of Requirement, though?”

 

Maggie smirks. “We don’t exactly have school permission… especially when we’re learning spells the Ministry doesn’t want us to learn.”

 

Alex blinks. “What?” _What the hell does she mean? Are they practicing illegal spells?_

 

As though reading her mind, Maggie hurriedly explains, “Nothing like illegal _curses_ , I just mean… things like Patronus charms, Occlumency, more advanced defensive spells…” she leans in and, voice lowered, adds, “Some of us are even trying to to train to become animagi.”

 

“Seriously?” Alex’s eyes widen. “Why?” From what she recalled of the lessons on animagi in third year, the process was long and had potential to never result in an actual transformation—or one that went horrifically wrong.

 

“What’s wrong with wanting to be a stronger wizard?” Maggie asks. “I’ve wanted to be an auror since I was a kid, Danvers, and they don’t just pick you for getting straight O’s. Stuff like this is how I’ll get a job, plus… an auror’s job isn’t easy. If they won’t teach me how to fight and defend myself here, I’ll learn it on my own.”

 

Alex feels a lump forming in her throat. She knows an auror’s job isn’t easy—she’s been hearing about her father’s disappearance for two and a half months. She went to sleep dreaming of all the ways he could’ve died.

 

“Anyway,” Maggie says, not noticing the way Alex pales for a moment. “You down for some practice, Danvers? We’re doing Patronuses today.”

 

Alex glances over the room. Students are twirling their wands, muttering to themselves, and it seems most are unsuccessful in creating a Patronus. A few have a pale light beaming out from their wands, and only one young girl has a corporeal raccoon tumbling at her feet. _I mean… if no one’s found out about this, it’s not doing any harm… and Maggie has a point. Getting a job as an auror is no easy feat._ Finally, she nods. “Yeah,” she says. “I’ll try.”

 

Maggie grins and leads her over to a less occupied part of the room. The Room of Requirement is surprisingly expansive, and despite them certainly not being in a part of the castle that would be against an outer wall, tall windows allow for sunlight to pour into the room. _Just where exactly_ is _this room?_ Alex wonders, and she isn’t entirely convinced that they’re going to walk into the same corridor they entered in when they eventually leave.

 

“Have you ever cast a Patronus?” Maggie asks, and when Alex shakes her head, she says, “It’s pretty advanced magic, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t conjure anything up right away. I still haven’t actually gotten past the incorporeal form yet. Draw your wand.”

 

Alex pulls her wand out from the folds of her robe and holds it out. “And then?”

 

“You have to focus on a happy memory,” Maggie tells her. “The happier, the better. It might take time to find the memory that actually works, but once you find it, that’s the one you should stick with, unless you make some better memories.” She steps away and draws her own wand. “The spell is _Expecto Patronum._ ” Maggie turns away and twirls her wand in a wide loop. “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ”

 

A wide beam of pale light shines forth from Maggie’s wand for a few moments, until she lowers her wand and it fades away. Maggie glances back at her. “Like that,” she says. “But that’s just the incorporeal form. When you get your _real_ Patronus conjured, it’s supposed to much more powerful.”

 

Alex swallows as she closes her eyes. _Happy memories…_ she thinks.

 

_Alex turns five when her mother gives her a tiny orange kitten. Eliza promises that this will be her pet, that this pet is her responsibility, and that as long as she takes care of it, she’ll be allowed to take him to Hogwarts in a few years when she attends the school. Alex had held him close when she went to bed and fell asleep to the sound of his rusty purrs, which sounded so large and so loud for a creature so small._

 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” Alex twirls her wand, but nothing happens.

 

“That’s okay,” Maggie says, still smiling encouragingly. “It’s just your first try. Maybe you need a better memory?”

 

Alex frowns and lowers her wand. “Like what?”

 

“Well…” Maggie crosses her arms and looks thoughtful. “What were you thinking of?”

 

“My fifth birthday,” Alex tells her, smiling softly. “My mom bought me a cat. I was so excited.”

 

Maggie laughs. “Come on, Danvers, you can do better than that. When was a time when you were _really_ happy? Not just a ‘I got my first pet’ happy.”

 

Alex is quiet for a moment, but the first thought that comes to mind is of Kara. “When Kara came to live with us,” she says, quietly. “I’d wanted a sister forever. I thought she would hate me, but… she was so happy. I think she actually cried when she hugged me.”

 

Maggie smiles. “See? Try focusing on that. Really think about it. You don’t have to cast the charm right away.”

 

Alex closes her eyes again.

 

_Alex is eleven, and it is two months until she goes to Hogwarts for her first year. Her parents had been talking for nearly a year about having another child, and Alex had been elated. All she wanted was a sister to be just like her. Her best friend, Vicky, was a big sister, and she admired the way Vicky’s kid sister looked up to her and tried to do whatever Vicky did. When they finally brought Kara home and introduced her to Alex, Alex had greeted her with a huge smile and pointed out her now very fat cat. She’d promised she would let Kara sleep with him some nights, and Kara, who had apparently been silent the entire way home, had grinned and ran up to hug her. They were still living in a small two-bedroom house, and Alex had to share her room with Kara_ — _though she wouldn’t find it to be a burden until long after they grew close. They’d spent the night talking until they couldn’t keep their eyes open any longer._

 

Alex is smiling as she opens her eyes, flourishes her wand, and declares “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ”

 

Much to her own surprise, a glowing Harris hawk springs from the light that emits from her wand. It swoops gracefully through the air for a few moments before flying headfirst into a pillar and dissipating.

 

Alex looks at Maggie, grinning, only to find the Gryffindor staring at her, dumbfounded. Her jaw had actually _dropped_ , and Alex can't help but laugh. “Oh… oh my god,” Maggie manages. “You actually… how the hell? That's seriously _advanced_ magic, and you just…” Her voice trails off before she shakes her head. “You did that on your second try.”

 

Alex places a hand on her hip and smirks. “You jealous, Sawyer?”

 

Maggie just keeps staring at her like she's sprouted antlers or gained a third eye. “No, I'm…” she shakes her head and laughs. “Fucking _amazed_.”

 

“Oh,” Alex says, and she feels her face flush. “Really?”

 

Maggie crosses her arms. “I told you that was advanced magic. How the hell did you do it?”

 

“It was Kara,” Alex replies, softly, as she pushes her wand back into her pocket. “I thought about the night she came to live with us, and…” she smiles warmly. “It felt right.”

 

“Damn, Danvers,” Maggie remarks. “You're some kind of incredible.”

 

Alex looks away as she feels her blush deepen. It's not often she receives such praise, but she doesn't expect to feel so… embarrassed about it.

* * *

 

Kara steps down the stairs to the Slytherin dungeons carefully, as though worried she might slip or be too noisy. She hasn't seen anyone come up or down this way today, but she's hoping she'll be able to find her sister. She’s felt guilty about not telling Alex about playing for Gryffindor ever since she’d joined the team, but she felt much worse after seeing the look of shock on her face when the match started yesterday.

 

As she reaches the door, Kara realizes she's never thought to ask Alex about how the Slytherin dungeons open. They've never made a habit before out of visiting each other’s dorms, as it's technically against the rules for students to enter the houses they aren't part of (which has never actually stopped anyone who wanted to).

 

_I don't know what to do_ , she thinks, furrowing her brow. Kara could just wait here until she came out, but that could be dinner time, and she certainly didn't want to sit in this cold, dark hall until then. And even then, for all she knew Alex _wasn't_ in her dorm. _Should I just… knock?_

 

Kara lifts her hand and hesitates for a few seconds before she timidly raps on the door. When half a minute passes with no response, she straightens up, sets her jaw, and knocks again, much louder. She blinks and steps back a little as she hears a shuffling from inside. After a few moments, the door opens a crack, before the person inside pulls it in fully.

 

_Oh_ , Kara thinks, swallowing. Before her stands Lena Luthor, who gazes at her curiously before her lips twitch in a slight smirk and says, “I know you… Kara Danvers, newest Chaser for Gryffindor. Right? You're Alex’s sister.”

 

“You know Alex?” Kara blurts, before she mentally chastises herself. _Of course she knows Alex, she's her housemate._ “I mean, um, yeah, that's me. You're…” her voice trails off, and she's sure Lena can see the way she pales. She knows exactly who Lena is—she's a Luthor, the younger sister of Lex Luthor, a cold-blooded killer of muggleborn wizards, and daughter to the Luthor family, a line of known blood purists and Death Eater sympathizers. She swallows again.

 

“Lena,” The girl doesn't point out her evident discomfort, and instead offers her a hand. “Lena Luthor.”

 

Kara hesitantly takes her hand and shakes it. “Um, nice to meet you.”

 

Lena crosses her arms as she leans in the doorway. “So,” she says. “You want to tell me what a Gryffindor like yourself is doing all the way down here?”

 

She's clearly trying to be friendly, but it does nothing to ease the ball of nerves in Kara’s stomach. All Kara can think about is the pictures she'd seen of Lex Luthor and the names of wizards and witches he murdered. “Oh, I… I was looking for Alex,” she explains. “I wanted to talk to her.”

 

“Funny,” Lena replies, smiling again. “I was thinking of doing the same. Want to come in and wait for her? I could use a favor in return.”

 

_A favor?_ Kara thinks, blinking rapidly. _Like what?_ She has a sinking feeling that whatever it is, it'll be horrible, but she forces herself to nod firmly. “Alright,” she says.

 

“Great,” Lena smiles again and steps out of the way. “Welcome to the Slytherin dungeons.”

 

Kara steps inside, and Lena moves to close the door behind her. The dungeons are quiet, and seem to be empty today. Green flames dance on the walls to illuminate the room, and one large, thick window is over the fireplace. It's far less cozy than the Gryffindor Common Room, but there are a number of small tables and soft chairs for lounging. She blinks in surprise as she realizes she's looking out into water through the window as a few fish swim slowly by.

 

“I didn't realize we were so far down,” Kara says. “Is this the Black Lake?”

 

Lena nods and smiles, but it's a little more dry this time. “Only the best for Hogwarts’s finest,” she says, and Kara can tell she's a bit bitter.

 

“So…” Kara looks down at her feet. “What's this favor?”

 

“Hang on,” Lena says, as she turns and heads for a small staircase to her right. “Let me grab something.”

 

Kara stands awkwardly as Lena disappears down the stairs. _What have I gotten myself into?_ she wonders. _Is she going to ask me to do her homework? Buy her something in Hogsmeade?_ Spy _on someone? Oh, what if she—_

 

But Lena returns before Kara can dig herself into a deeper hole of worry, and all she sees is a sheet of parchment clutched in her hand. “Here,” Lena says, holding it out. “I just need you to read this.”

 

Kara, confused, takes the paper and glances down. “What is this?”

 

“A letter,” Lena explains. “It's from my brother. I know they probably screen the letters they allow to be sent from Azkaban, but… it's utter gibberish. I can’t… I just feel like I'm missing something.”

 

Kara stares down and reads it.

 

_Lena,_

 

_It never ends exciting, darling. You own ugly red helmets. Everyone loves prison. Even scary Corben and Pierre in need, God. All zoo keeping absolutely becomes awfully nasty. We really in trouble. Enjoy imagining new sea art? Mother excited, come onward, dearest._

 

_Especially,_

 

_Lex_

 

_P.S. Every first letter you've sent has been good to receive. Please write back soon. Big things happening._

 

“Um…” Kara glances up at Lena, confusion written all over her features. Her hands shake in the slightest, and she feels almost sick at the thought that _Lex Luthor_ wrote this, even if it made absolutely no sense at all. “I don't understand.”

 

“I _know_ ,” Lena sighs. “But I think that's what he wanted. Lex is smart, he wouldn't just… write complete nonsense unless he had a reason.”

 

“You think there's something hidden?” Kara asks. “Did you—”

 

“Yes, I already tried charming it with every revealing spell I could think of,” Lena says, clearly frustrated. “Nothing. Plus, I'm sure the guards at Azkaban would probably notice an enchanted letter.”

 

“Oh,” Kara says, as she glances back down. Part of her feels a nagging tug of suspicion at why Lena wants to know what he means so badly, but then again… _He is her brother,_ she thinks. _If Alex did something horrible… I don't know how I would feel. But I couldn't just… not talk to her._

 

She reads the letter again before she points to the bottom of it. “Okay…” she finally says. “This is the bit that confuses me the most. Everything else is so random, but the note at the end is coherent. And what’s ‘every first letter you sent’ supposed to mean?” Kara frowns. “Every first…” her eyes widen. “Oh! Oh my gosh… I think it's a code.”

 

Lena stares blankly. “It's what now?”

 

“Do you have a quill?” Kara hurriedly asks. “I'll show you.”

 

Lena crosses the room to where a small set of drawers stands against the wall. “There should be one in here…” she opens one and produces a quill and jar of ink. “What's this about a code?”

 

Kara joins her at the drawers and sets the letter on top. She explains as she opens the ink and dips in the quill. “It's every first letter! The only part that isn't gibberish is the note at the end, but ‘every first letter you've sent’ doesn't make sense. It should just say ‘every letter’, but…” She starts to write on the bottom of the parchment. “It's the clue to the code.”

 

Lena watches over Kara’s shoulder as she reads over the letter and scribbles down the first letter of each word in the passage. When she reaches the end, they both stare down at Kara’s messy scrawl.

 

**_L I n e e d Y o u r h E l p E s C a P i n G A z k a b a n W r i t E i n s a M e c o d E L_ **

 

It takes Kara a moment to register exactly what it says, before she slaps a hand over her mouth and steps back.

 

Lena is silent, eerily silent.

 

_Is she thinking about it?_ Kara wonders. _What does he even want her to do? A monster like that…_ Kara can feel her hands shaking. “Lena, you can't—”

 

“How dare he?” Lena finally spits, vehemently, as though not even noticing Kara’s weak attempt at speaking. “How can he just—” she clenches her fists. “That fucking _bastard_. Of course he'd try to… I'm such an idiot.” She snatches the letter off the dresser and crumples it before she whips out her wand and snaps, “ _Incendio_!” She drops the paper as it bursts into flame and they both watch, silently, as it burns to ash on the stone floor.

 

Kara finally breaks the silence by quietly asking, “So you… you aren’t going to… you know?”

 

Lena snaps her attention back to Kara. “Of course I’m not,” she says, flatly. “Lex is my brother, and I adored him, until…” she shakes her head once and scowls. When she crosses her arms this time, it looks more like she’s hugging herself, and Kara can’t tell if she’s more angry or hurt. _Then again, it’s probably both._ “Lex used to be a good man,” she goes on. “Or I thought he was, at least. I looked up to him for so long. I tried to write to him so I could _understand,_ but then he just…” her expression twists, as though she’s just swallowed a lemon whole. “He’s more selfish than I thought.”

 

Kara’s shoulders slump in the slightest. _I really… had Lena pegged wrong,_ she thinks. _Maybe she isn’t like Lex Luthor._ “I’m sorry,” she says, a little awkwardly. “It has to be hard for you.”

 

Lena laughs once, wryly, and gives Kara an apologetic smile. “No, Kara, I’m sorry. I asked you to help me with Lex, of all people, and… Alex has told me about you.” Kara stiffens. “About how you were adopted and your parents are probably muggles…” Lena bites her lip before she adds, “I was adopted when I was four by the Luthors. Did you know that?”

 

Kara blinks. “No, I… I didn’t. Alex doesn’t talk much about her friends.”

 

Lena chuckles quietly. “I wouldn’t really call us close friends, but… I don’t know. I’ve always had trouble connecting with my family, and I admired him so much when I was younger. I wanted to be like him. But my mother never…” she stops and looks away, as though figuring she’s said too much already. “It doesn’t matter.”

 

Kara stares down at her shoes again, feeling uncomfortable and more than a little guilty. _I don’t even know her and I was already afraid of her for being related to her brother,_ she thinks. _But maybe Lena and I are more alike than I thought._ She considers saying this to Lena, but the door opens, and she looks up to see Alex stepping into the Common Room.

 

“Kara?” Alex asks, eyes wide. “How the hell did you… Lena? What were you two doing?”

 

“I just let her in,” Lena replies smoothly, any trace of her anger gone from her expression. “She wanted to talk to you.”

 

Kara nods hurriedly. “Um, yep, that’s it! I just came in here to see you. Can we talk?” She's a rotten liar and she knows it, but she doubts Alex will pry.

 

Alex’s forehead creases with confusion, but she sighs and shrugs. “Uh… sure. Let’s go to my bed.”

* * *

 

“So, um, I’m just really sorry that I didn’t say anything about Quidditch, and I didn’t want to make you mad or anything, I just wasn’t sure how to tell you I was playing on the rival team, and…” Kara’s voice trails off before she bites her lip. “Please just say something.”

 

Alex smiles at her sister. “Kara, calm down,” she tells her. “I’m not mad at you, I was just… surprised, that’s all.” She lets out a laugh and puts a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “You think I’d be mad at you for playing Quidditch? Kara, I’m _proud_ of you. You were a damn good Chaser, too.”

 

Kara smiles and lets out a sigh. “Thank you,” she says. “I don’t know why I was so worried about it.” After a moment, she asks, “So, where were you before this? Don’t you usually stay in here and study on weekends?”

 

Then it is Alex’s turn to swallow, look away, and stammer, “Oh, I was… just taking a bath, you know?” Alex’s hair isn’t wet and she certainly doesn’t smell clean after the two hours she spent in Dumbledore’s Army, and they both are very aware of this.

 

But Kara doesn’t argue—and Alex isn’t surprised, because Kara had very clearly been lying earlier when she said she had _just_ been waiting for Alex—and neither of them feel the need to point out that they’re both hiding something.

 

Alex isn’t exactly sure _why_ she thinks she needs to hide what she was doing, but she justifies it to herself with the thought that Dumbledore’s Army is supposed to be a secret club.

* * *

 

**_October_ **  

A few weeks pass, and they pass relatively uneventfully. There is more news about attacks on muggleborns, but no new information about the potential resurgence of Death Eaters appearing. Alex continued to practice with Maggie in Dumbedore’s Army on early Saturday afternoons, and they have no more vial-smashing incidents in Potions. In fact, once they'd stopped fighting, they actually found that they made a pretty good pair, and had been pretty successful in class.

 

On the weekend before Halloween, it is posted that trips to Hogsmeade will be taking place again, and those old enough to go are bursting with excitement. After a month of being stuck in the castle, most students are more than ready to get a trip outside.

 

Alex, however, isn’t sure how exactly she finds herself sitting in Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop with a Slytherin boy named Maxwell Lord, and is progressively getting less and less enthusiastic about this… whatever it was. (Not that she was enthusiastic in the first place.) She supposes it _is_ a date—Maxwell had asked her to get a drink with him long before they even left for Hogsmeade, and they were sitting at a table, just the two of them, and they were sitting in _Madam Puddifoot’s_ , of all the damn places. If they had even gone to Three Broomsticks she could have passed it off as a friendly hangout, but this was infamous for being _the_ place to go out for a date. Hell, there were three other couples in here, and two of the pairs were already kissing over their coffee mugs with no signs of stopping soon.

 

Alex is grateful, at least, for the fact that they are sitting at the table closest to the window, so she can stare out into the town and pray that someone comes to her rescue.

 

“Anyway, so I was dueling this guy, right?” Maxwell has been going on and on about himself for the past twenty minutes, which Alex only affirms with well-placed _oh?_ ’s and _mhm_ ’s and the occasional nod to indicate that she wasn’t just spacing out and staring out the window. (Which, she definitely was.)

 

“Sure,” Alex yawns, and she doesn’t pay attention to what else he says after. She stares longingly out the window as she sees Siobhan and Leslie walk by, and for the first time in her life, she truly regrets not befriending Siobhan. She watches them go, and despite her desperate internal wishing that they'd spot her, they pass obliviously. It takes all of Alex’s self control to not heave a sigh of defeat.

 

“Alex,” he says, after a minute. “I asked if you wanted to get out of here.”

 

Alex blinks and sits up a little straighter. “Oh? Um, yeah. I kind of hate this place, actually.”

 

Maxwell smirks in the slightest. “I’m not a fan either. I just thought, since, y’know…”

 

Alex would like to pretend that she does _not_ know, but she nods anyway. _I get it,_ she thinks dryly. _It's a date. We’re on a date. The two of us are out together, having a date. Message received._

 

“Anyway.” Maxwell stands and moves towards the door, so Alex sighs under her breath and follows. “Let's go somewhere else.”

 

_Finally, something I_ can _agree with,_ she thinks.

 

They leave the tea shop and stroll slowly down the path. They walk aimlessly, which is both better and worse than when they were just sitting. Out here, Alex doesn't have to pretend to listen to Maxwell’s monologues, but on the other hand, he also takes the opportunity to sling his arm around Alex’s shoulders, holding her much closer than she would have preferred.

 

“Do you want to go anywhere?” Maxwell asks as they stroll around one corner of a building.

 

_Back to my bed,_ Alex thinks, but instead, she shakes her head. “Not particularly.”

 

“Mm.” He stops walking and glances around for a moment. This corner is devoid of people, and he grins wolfishly at Alex.

 

_Oh,_ she thinks, dread creeping up inside her. Maxwell turns completely to face her, and she isn't exactly sure how long it takes for her to be backed up against the brick wall. Maybe it had only been a foot away from her to begin with—she truly has no idea.

 

Maxwell places one hand on the wall and leans in close. Much too close. Alex knows exactly what he wants, and she has no idea what to do. “You're really hot, you know?” he says, voice low.

 

“And you…” Alex taps her finger against his chest before she ducks under his arm. “You, uh… sure are something.”

 

“What?” Maxwell stares after her, clearly dumbfounded, as Alex slowly backs up the way they'd came.

 

“Yeah, I, uh…” Alex is fumbling and she knows it. She stammers out, “I just—um, just remembered I have… a thing…” She spins on her heels, panicked, and bolts. “See you!”

 

“What the fuck?” Maxwell shouts after her, but Alex doesn't stop running.

* * *

 

Alex lets out a huge sigh of relief as she steps into Three Broomsticks. She had glanced over her shoulder countless times as she fled her horrid date, but thankfully, Maxwell seemed to have not been following.

 

“Hey, Danvers,” a familiar voice calls, and Alex grins as she sees Maggie across the inn, sitting alone at a table. “Where's the fire?”

 

Alex makes her way over and sits down. She groans loudly and rests her head on the table. “Please tell me if Maxwell Lord comes in so I can hide under the table.”

 

Over the past few weeks, Maggie and Alex had started to spend some time together outside of potions and the D.A.. It was just things like finding books in the library or playing wizard’s chess, but Alex had found that she actually quite enjoyed Maggie’s company, and had started to think of Maggie as a friend—which was certainly not something she could have ever expected.

 

Maggie laughs. “What happened? Did you kick his ass or something?”

 

Alex looks up her bleakly, but doesn't sit up. “I went on a date with him. A fucking _date_.”

 

Maggie raises a brow. “Oh?”

 

“It was awful,” Alex sighs. “I hated every minute of it.”

 

Maggie snorts. “He doesn't seem your type, Danvers. He's so…”

 

“Arrogant?” Alex tries. “Pretentious? Self-obsessed? Ignorant? Handsy?”

 

“I was gonna just go with _annoying,_ but…” Maggie frowns. “Wait, _handsy_?”

 

Alex sits up and rolls her eyes in annoyance. “We were in Madam Puddifoot’s, first of all. He kept trying to brush his hand against mine and it _might_ have just been the table but I'm pretty sure he put his hand on my knee at one point. And he spent the whole time just going _on_ and _on_ about how great he was, until he finally asked if I wanted to leave.” She glances quickly over her shoulder as she hears the door open, but it is only one of the patrons leaving. “So we leave, and he puts his arm around my shoulder, and I'm still _hating_ this date. We walk around for a while until he tries to get me against a wall and I'm pretty sure he was going to kiss me but I ducked and literally _ran_ away. I told him I had, and I quote, a ‘thing’.” Alex finally takes a breath.

 

Maggie lets out a loud peal of laughter, and Alex can't help but smile, too. “Sorry, Danvers,” she snickers. “That's just so… god, that sounds like the worst.”

 

“ _Boys_ are the worst,” Alex huffs. “I hate them. They're always so stuck-up and thinks the world revolves around them and talk about themselves for an hour just to try and fuck you against a brick wall. They're just so…” she lets out a loud groan, as though that is an explanation itself. “You know?”

 

Alex frowns when Maggie says nothing. Instead, Maggie is staring at her in a very curious way, and Alex feels a prick of discomfort. “Sawyer?”

 

“Danvers… do you even _like_ guys?” Maggie asks, slowly.

 

Alex swallows thickly. She knows Maggie isn't just asking if Alex objectively enjoys men. She knows exactly what she means, and she feels like all the air just left her body. “I…”

 

“Because, I mean,” Maggie goes on. “You obviously don't like this Maxwell guy. Which is understandable; he's a huge prick. But…” she tries to smile. “You sound like you hate the way all guys act.”

 

Since when did Alex’s mouth feel so dry?

 

“No,” Alex blurts. “I mean, I'm not—I mean. I'm…”

 

“Gay,” Maggie finally clarifies, bluntly. “I'm asking if you're gay. Because I might have had you pegged wrong this whole time.”

 

“I'm not gay,” Alex says, quickly, as she scoots her chair back. “I mean—no offense to you, or anything, but I'm not—you know, I'm not…” _What the fuck is wrong with you?_ she thinks, panicking for the second time today. _Just say something!_

 

“Danvers, I didn't…” Maggie sighs as Alex starts to stand. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry, I just… Well, you would be surprised by how many gay girls I've heard that from.”

 

At that, Alex feels very much like someone just sucker-punched her in the gut. She chokes out “I—I just remembered—I've gotta… I'll see you,” before she turns around and flees for the second time in one day.

 

_I'm not… I'm not that,_ Alex thinks, as she shoves her way outside. _I'm not._

 

So why did Alex feel like Maggie had just dropped a massive bomb on her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alex: boys are just so.... ugh, you know?  
> maggie: [kill bill sirens]


	5. Explosions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Alex isn't gay, Maggie doesn't have feelings for her, Lena doesn't hate her family, and everyone is lying to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! i've been busy since i've been back in school, but once i'm on winter break there will be more frequent updates again :).
> 
> anyway, enjoy baby gay alex having a gay crisis(TM)

_“Danvers… do you even like guys?”_

 

Alex swears loudly as her cup of vinegar explodes rather than turning to wine. It splatters all over her, as well as the Ravenclaw girl sitting next to her, and both nearly fall out of their chairs as they try to avoid the explosion. Alex mutters an apology as they climb back into their seats, but the girl just glares silently at her.

 

_“Do you even like guys?”_

 

Fuck Maggie and her shitty question. Alex couldn’t get it off her mind, and now she was messing up all of her spells that she tried to perform. _Just my luck_ , she thinks. _I was fine until I met that… that… that_ fucking _Gryffindor._

 

“Miss Danvers,” Professor Grant calls, almost boredly, as she glances up from her desk. “Come here. _Now_.”

 

Alex swallows as she tucks her wand back into her pocket and gets out of her chair. A few students titter quietly as she walks past them and towards the professor’s desk. Alex is burning with embarrassment and frustration. Normally, she is quite adept when it comes to Charms—and all her classes, for that matter—but ever since the trip to Hogsmeade four days ago, she had been screwing up everything she tried to do in any of her classes. In Potions, she and Maggie had hardly said a thing aside from Maggie asking for the jar of pomegranate juice. Alex had ended up accidentally putting dragon’s blood in their potion instead of the salamander blood it had called for, and the potion, much like her glass of vinegar, had exploded all over the two of them. In Transfigurations, Alex had managed to conjure birds, only to have them dive bomb half the class until the professor could vanish them, and in Defense Against the Dark Arts, she’d set fire to Professor Lane’s desk by mistake.

 

Alex was more distracted than she had ever been in all her years at Hogwarts, and it was all thanks to Maggie and her question. She was _not_ this kind of student—she normally perfected classwork with ease—but now, she couldn’t focus on a single thing.

 

The professor glances up at the rest of the class and waves her wand to pull their hats down in the directions of their desks. “Back to your spells,” she orders, and the students hurriedly snap back to their attempts at winemaking. She then looks back up at Alex and adjusts her glasses. “Miss Danvers.”

 

Alex swallows again under Professor Grant’s scrutinizing stare. “Yes, Professor?”

 

“I’ve never seen you so unfocused in my class,” the professor says. “You usually pick up spells as soon as you receive the directions—and I’ve certainly _never_ had to watch you do something as stupid as blow up your classwork.”

 

“I’m sorry, Professor,” Alex replies, staring down at her feet. “I’ve just… I’ve been having trouble concentrating, I guess.” She can’t exactly explain to her professor that a sort-of-friend essentially asked her if she was straight and that the answer—or lack thereof—was messing with her head.

 

Professor Grant frowns critically. “I’d say. From what I’ve heard from your other professors, you’ve been having similar… incidents this week.”

 

Alex doesn’t know what to say—she has no excuse, she knows, and this is not at all like her—so she just nods silently and prays that the Professor doesn’t assign her detention or take away house points. (God knows Lena would chew her out for _that_.) Alex has never repeatedly made so many mistakes before, and frankly, she has no idea what the professors do to the screw-up students.

 

“Hmm.” The professor looks down at her parchment and goes back to writing. “I’m excusing you from the rest of the class today. You are one of the best students in this class, Miss Danvers, so I trust that taking a short break won’t affect your grade. Just be sure to practice the spell and show me that you can perform it tomorrow morning.”

 

Alex stands there, still silent and surprised. _I’m not in trouble?_

 

“Well?” Professor Grant glares back up at her. “Did I stutter, or did your explosion somehow confuse you? Go.”

 

Alex clears her throat and blinks rapidly before she nods gratefully. “Um—thank you, Professor. I’ll be sure to be ready tomorrow.”

 

“Good.” The professor returns to her work. “See to it that you are… or next time I won’t let you off quite so easily.”

 

Alex is quick to grab her things and go. As she stumbles out into the empty corridor, Alex pauses to lean against the wall and take a shaky breath. She hates how this feels, all of it. She hates how much of a mess Maggie has reduced her to, and she hates that she couldn’t stop running Maggie’s question through her head. The answer should have been easy— _of course I do, why wouldn’t I like boys_ or just a simple _I’m not gay_ would have sufficed. But Alex had fumbled, and now she can't stop thinking about Maggie and her question no matter how many times she tells herself to stop.

 

Alex composes herself, stands up straight, and heads down the hallway. Frankly, she isn’t sure what to do with her time—she’s got about an hour until Muggle Studies starts (and thankfully, there isn’t much she can ruin or blow up in that class), and no idea of what to do in the meantime. She does have free periods, but never on Thursday, and she’s always planned out how she uses her free time in advance.

 

Alex ends up making her way towards the Great Hall in hopes that she runs into other students she knows—and hey, if not, she can always try to see if there’s any leftovers from lunch still laying around.

 

_I don’t know what it is about what she said,_ Alex thinks to herself as she walks. _It should have been easy to answer. It_ is _easy to answer. I’m not… I do like them. Boys. There’s just no good ones around here. Most of the Slytherin boys are jackasses like Maxwell and I don't know any of the guys from other houses well enough to want to date them._

 

She reassures herself with this thought as she walks into the Great Hall. Everything would be fine. Maggie had just thrown her off, that was all, and she just needed to clear her head. Everything would be fine. Everything _is_ fine.

 

“Hey, Danvers!”

 

Alex’s stomach flips as she sees Maggie waving to her from one of the tables. Without thinking, she stumbles back, turns around, and hurries back the way she came, nearly colliding into another student in her attempt to flee. She hears another call of “Danvers?” from behind her, but Alex doesn’t stop as she speeds away.

 

Okay, so maybe everything _wasn’t_ exactly fine. Not yet.

* * *

 

Maggie has never been good at dealing with her feelings. This much she has always known.

 

Even when she was dating Rachel, her ex, Maggie hadn’t been good at talking about how she felt. They were great together when it came to anything else, but as soon as Rachel tried to talk about the future or what they were as a couple, Maggie fled. She did her best to avoid those conversations, because frankly, she knew she wouldn’t be with Rachel forever. She’d liked her girlfriend a lot, and cared deeply about her, but Maggie wasn’t fooling herself into thinking they would be together forever. Because of Maggie’s tendency to avoid meaningful conversations about their relationship, they had been in a rocky relationship in the few months leading up to their breakup.

 

It had all come to an end when Rachel said her parents were moving to America for work, and that she, naturally, would be transferring to the Illvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had all been very sudden—though she had known about the move for months, she told Maggie only three weeks before leaving, and lashed out when Maggie was shocked. Maggie hadn’t been happy with the idea of her moving, but she’d been even less pleased when Rachel had demanded she stay with her even after she moved.

 

Maggie knew their relationship had been ending and that it was a long time coming, and she’d told Rachel as much. Rachel had snapped, calling her an insensitive, hard-headed sociopath, and that had been the end of that. It had certainly hurt a lot, especially with what Rachel had said in her furious fit before storming away and never coming back, but Maggie was a rational person. She could reason with herself; tell herself that it was for the best, and it had been surprisingly easy to move on.

 

She didn’t think that Alex Danvers could be part of what made it so easy.

 

Maggie couldn’t deny the way she felt around Alex. Her heart raced, her cheeks flushed, and her stomach wouldn’t stop flipping. But Maggie was good at pretending—she could hide her feelings, and hide them well. Most of the time.

 

Maggie had a rule that she stuck to rigidly—never have a crush on a straight girl. Never. In the times she’d started to catch herself having feelings for someone, she usually found ways to pick up on whether or not they were straight, and if they were, she bottled those feelings up and forced them away until she didn’t feel them anymore… or was able to convince herself that she didn’t, at least.

 

But Alex… Maggie had her pegged as any other straight girl from the start. And _regardless_ of her sexuality, Alex clearly hadn't been interested. She’d hated Maggie from the moment they had met, and maybe it would have been better if things had stayed that way from the beginning. Maggie had started to question it when Alex had spent the whole post-Quidditch party by her side and whispered that she wanted them to be friends. (Albeit, drunkenly, and very much so.)

 

But Maggie knew she’d fucked up when she asked Alex point-blank if she was even attracted to men. She thought that maybe Alex was just closeted, or at the very least had questioned it, but she’d gone white as a sheet the moment Maggie asked. Now Maggie was left in an odd position—she knew no straight girl, not even a deeply homophobic one, reacted like that to a question about her sexuality, but Maggie also knew she didn't have a chance with Alex. Even if Alex was gay, she was clearly panicked by the mention of it, and Maggie knew that a relationship like that couldn't work out.

 

So even as Maggie feels her heart twist as Alex runs away, again, she forces her feelings down and tells herself she doesn't feel anything for Alex.

 

Convincing herself of this isn't quite as simple as it's been before.

* * *

 

Alex is standing in the Forbidden Forest, blinking in the sunlight. It's odd, she thinks, that it would be so bright here—the forest is usually quite dark, even in the day, due to the thick canopy of trees. But it's brighter than she’s ever seen today.

 

Alex hears the crunching of leaves behind her, and she turns to see Maggie standing there, beaming. “Sawyer?”

 

“Hey, you,” Maggie says, moving closer to wrap her arms around Alex’s neck. She smiles up at her, and Alex thinks that Maggie’s smile is even sunnier than the forest is. “Where were you? I missed you.”

 

Alex doesn't reply, but leans into Maggie and pulls her into an embrace. She hums quietly as Maggie presses her lips to Alex’s cheek. “Do you even like guys, Danvers?” she whispers.

 

Alex’s eyes fly open and she stumbles back. “What?”

 

Maggie’s smile fades as the forest is quite suddenly plunged into darkness. “Danvers?” she calls, eyes wide with fear. “I'm scared.”

 

Cloaked figures move out from behind the trees, and Maggie screams. They seem to float towards them, and Alex feels very, very cold. She wants to run, desperately, but her feet are stuck to the ground.

 

Two of the figures move quickly towards Maggie, and as they touch her, she drops like a stone to the ground. Alex stares in horror at Maggie—she is clearly cold and lifeless.

 

The other figures begin to approach, and Alex realizes she has a wand in her hand. “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” she shouts, pointing the wand towards the cloaked creatures.

 

Instead of a glowing hawk, maggots burst forth from the wand and begin to swiftly climb up her wand in a steady, constant stream. As they ascend her arm, covering her in wriggling insects, Alex tries to scream. No sound comes out as the maggots climb up her face, and she falls to the ground with a desperate sob.

 

“Alex!”

 

Alex sits up in bed with a gasp. Her heart is pounding and she is in a cold sweat, and the first thing she sees is Lena standing over her, looking terribly concerned. She blinks and looks around to see most of the other Slytherin girls either sitting on their beds or standing close by, eyes wide.

 

“Alex?” Lena tries. “Are you alright? You were screaming in your sleep.”

 

_I'm here,_ Alex thinks, taking a shaky breath. _I'm not covered in maggots and those… things didn't come for me and Maggie—_ Alex swallows a little as she recalls the earliest part of her dream. _Maggie isn't dead_. Vaguely, she can remember Maggie holding her close, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and Alex swallows thickly. “I'm sorry,” she finally says, voice hoarse. “I was… I had a nightmare.”

 

Lena frowns. “Do you want to go to the Hospital Wing?” she asks. “We could get something to calm your nerves there.”

 

Alex shakes her head. Her heart has already slowed again, and she already is uncomfortable enough with all the Slytherin girls staring silently at her. Alex had certainly had nightmares before—especially when her father had first been reported as missing in action—but never like this. “No, I'm… I'm okay,” she sighs. “I just want to go back to sleep.”

 

Lena seems uncertain before she finally nods. “Alright, well… if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She stands back up and glances around the room. “Go back to bed, everyone.” Lena reaches up and pulls the curtains around Alex’s bed shut for her, and Alex hears her move back towards her own bed.

 

Alex sighs quietly as she lays back down and runs a hand through her hair. It takes time, but she eventually is able to close her eyes again and drift off.

 

Alex goes to sleep still thinking of Maggie pressing a kiss to her cheek, and still thinking of her desperate scream before the dream creatures killed her.

 

She doesn't sleep well for the rest of the night.

* * *

 

Lena rolls over in her bed, restless. She can hear the slowing breath of Alex in the bed nearest to her as the girl falls back asleep. Lena, however, hasn't slept at all since she went to bed. The letters from Lex had been on her mind for weeks—because now, it wasn't just the one letter, but it was five. All with the same general nonsense, and all with the same coded message.

 

Lena had set fire to them every time.

 

She had always known that her family had anti-muggleborn wizard beliefs. Even when adopting her, they'd purposefully looked into Lena’s lineage to ensure that she came from a line of pure-blooded wizards. Lena had heard all the stories—her grandparents on both sides of the family had been notorious Death Eaters, and it was rumored her parents had been some of the Slytherin students that Voldemort had recruited while they were still in school. Her parents had never confirmed this, but they weren't awfully concerned about denying it, either.

 

_"Not all Death Eaters are really evil, Lena,”_ her mother used to sigh. Her father would only huff and straighten his newspaper when she asked about it.

 

Lena’s stomach swirls as she remembers how apathetic they were towards being labeled wizard terrorists, and… it made her wonder even more now if the rumors had been true.

 

But Lena just wanted to know now _why_ Lex was so desperate to contact her—why not their father? Why not their mother? They both had jobs within the Ministry, and while their father might have turned down such a request, Lex had always been the favorite child of Lillian Luthor. Their mother would do anything for him—even go as far as to break him out of a high-security wizarding prison.

 

She rolls over onto her other side again. _So why me? Why drag me into this? Because I didn’t want to believe that he was guilty?_ Lena grits her teeth until it hurts and fists a handful of her comforter.

 

Lena doesn’t know how to feel—she wants to feel nothing, but instead she feels  _too much_. She doesn't have friends, not really, and her family was all she had. But if her family was so vile… she didn’t know how she was supposed to feel. How she was supposed to act.

 

Lena didn’t hate her family. She hated the way they made her feel, hated the cold way her mother treated her, hated the things they believed and the things they said about wizards who weren’t pureblooded.

 

She lets out a sigh as she moves to lay on her stomach and stare out the thick glass window into the Black Lake. The lake is dark, and she can't see anything, but occasionally, a candle burning with a green flame floats through the air overhead and illuminates the water.

 

_I wonder if it’s easier,_ she thinks. _Being a mermaid in there. They’re supposed to be savages, but… sometimes I don’t think wizards are much better._

* * *

 

Alex’s Friday goes just about as well as the rest of her week. Her vinegar doesn’t explode, but it doesn’t turn to wine, either, and she has a feeling Professor Grant won’t be giving her any more easy breaks from here on out. Her bird-conjuring in Transfigurations results in another avian attack, and Snapper huffs that she’ll need to practice the spell in her free time.

 

Alex still can’t stop thinking about Maggie, her question, and what it would feel like to kiss her.

* * *

 

A woman stands in a spotless white room, tapping her fingers on the table she sits on. The room is sparse, with only the table, two chairs, and a slim filing cabinet against the wall. She glances up and smiles thinly as the door opens and a man in a lab coat steps in, closing the door behind him.

 

“So?” The woman prompts. “Is it done?”

 

“It failed, ma’am,” the man says, shaking his head. “We were only able to transfigure half of the necessary parts on the subject before he died. I believe we’re making progress, though—he lasted longer than the others have before.”

 

“Well.” She purses her lips as she crosses her legs and places her hands in her lap. “I suppose that _is_ progress. Keep trying. We have plenty more subjects to test on. Plenty of odd squibs where that one came from.”

 

The man nods. “Of course, ma’am. Would you like to review the results from the last subject, or shall we move on ahead immediately?”

 

She stands up and inclines her head in the slightest. “Go over them as you see fit, Doctor,” she says. “I have matters elsewhere to attend to. Notify me if there are any changes.”

 

“Of course.”

 

The woman moves past him, but stills as her hand rests on the doorknob. “Any word on the other project?”

 

The doctor shakes his head again. “Not yet, but the team is working on it. They should be close to having some form of results for you.”

 

“Excellent,” she says. “The timeline is moving up, doctor. The Ministry is catching on too quickly, and if our mission is to succeed, we need to be prepared as soon as possible.”

 

“I completely understand,” the doctor says. “I’m working my teams as hard as I can.”

 

“Good.” She opens the door and glances briefly over her shoulder. “Because you, Doctor, are equally as replaceable.”

* * *

 

In Potions on Monday, Maggie feels like _she_ might be the one about to explode instead of the boiling potion in front of them. She jolts every time she brushes hands with Alex, her chest feels tight whenever they catch each other’s eyes and quickly look away, and her mouth feels horribly, horribly dry.

 

_You don’t have feelings for her,_ she thinks to herself. _Get it together, Maggie. You don’t have a crush on her. You absolutely don’t._

 

Their potion blows up in their faces again.

* * *

 

That night, Alex can't sleep for hours. All she can think of is Maggie and her _fucking question_ and that maybe, just maybe, Maggie had pegged her right. She can't stop wondering what it would actually feel like to hold her close, to kiss her, to have feelings for her.

 

_Oh, god_ , Alex thinks. Her throat is so, so tight, and she isn't sure when the last time she took a breath was. She runs a shaking hand through her hair before her hand stills to tangle in it. Alex sucks in a breath, finally, as she thinks to herself, _Oh, god, Maggie was right. Maggie was so right._

* * *

 

On Tuesday, Alex finally breaks the silence. It was much more difficult to go without talking through two hours of potions instead of just one, especially when this class period is just two hours of lecture.

 

“Sawyer,” Alex says, quite suddenly, and Maggie jumps in her seat. “I can’t do this anymore.”

 

Maggie glances at her, and for the first time, it’s _Maggie_ that looks very, very panicked. “What?”

 

“I mean…” Alex sighs. “I can’t stand this… weird last week we’ve had,” she explains. “Can I talk to you?”

 

Maggie blinks and gestures to Professor Armstrong, who currently has his back turned to the class. “As in right now?”

 

Alex hesitates. Never, in all her time at Hogwarts, has she ever ditched a class. _Skipped_ , maybe, but never ditched halfway through. She knew her mother would send a dozen howlers if she knew, somehow, that Alex had ditched.

 

Alex doesn’t care.

 

“Right now,” she says. “Just make something up.”

 

Maggie, to her credit, thinks fast on her feet, and the moment Armstrong turns around, she shoots her hand up in the air.

 

He blinks and nods. “Do you have a question, Sawyer?”

 

“Yeah. Can Danvers and I go to the bathroom?” She flashes him a sunny smile, and Alex wants to groan. _Of all the things, she comes up with that?_

 

Armstrong, understandably, frowns. “No. Why on earth would I send you together?”

 

Maggie clears her throat quite loudly. “Well, Professor,” she explains, very slowly. “It’s—you know— _that_ time of month. And you see, Professor, when some of us spend time around each other, our _time of the month_ starts syncing up.” Alex has to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Armstrong’s face is as red as a tomato, and the students around them are snickering loudly at his embarrassment. “So, I can explain more, if you’d like. We excrete these things called pheromones, Professor, and—”

 

“That’s quite enough, Sawyer!” Armstrong hurriedly exclaims. “Just—just go on with you. Go to the bathroom. Merlin’s beard!”

 

Maggie flashes Alex a toothy grin, and Alex has a hard time not bursting out in laughter as they quickly flee the classroom together.

 

“Where do you want to go?” Maggie asks as the door to the potions dungeon shuts behind them.

 

_I didn't really think this through at all_ , Alex thinks, as she bites her lip. “Um… somewhere we won't be caught for ditching?”

 

Maggie taps her foot on the floor thoughtfully. “I would say the Room of Requirement, but we’d never find it right now.”

 

Alex frowns. “Why’s that?”

 

“There's some club in there right now,” Maggie sighs, as though truly disappointed. “And if someone is already _in_ the room, you have to know why they needed the room, or you can't find it. I still haven't figured out what their club is for.”

 

Alex rolls her eyes. “How do you know all of this?”

 

Maggie smirks for the first time in a week. “I know about almost all of the secret clubs here,” she says. “So I've learned a thing or two.”

 

_Of_ course _she does,_ Alex thinks, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. A few weeks ago, something like that from Maggie would have annoyed her to no end, but now… it was almost a little endearing. “I'm sure you have,” she remarks. “Um… you want to go up on the wall walks? The view up there is pretty nice.”

 

Maggie smiles and Alex swallows. “Sure, Danvers. Let's go.”

 

Maggie leads the way towards the staircases, and Alex can't stop thinking about her dream and about Maggie kissing her.

* * *

 

When they reach the battlements of the castle, both girls lean over the stone barrier as they gaze out in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. (Which is, of course, another uncomfortable reminder to Alex of her dream about Maggie.)

 

They are quiet for a while, until Maggie breaks the silence to ask, “So? What's up? You've been really… weird lately.”

 

Alex sighs heavily as she looks down at the ground, far, far below them. “I just…” she swallows before glancing at Maggie. “I've always had to be perfect, you know?”

 

Maggie smiles softly and inclines her head, as though trying to gently encourage Alex. “Yeah?”

 

Alex nods once. “I've always had to be… a perfect student, a perfect witch, a perfect sister—always look out for Kara. Keep her out of trouble.” She leans her elbow on the short stone wall and rests her chin in her palm as she lets out another sigh. “And I've always managed to do it. Always got Outstandings in all my classes, always perfected spells, passed my O.W.L.S with flying colors… and ever since we adopted Kara into the family I took care of her. Taught her right from wrong, made sure she always followed the rules and did her schoolwork…” Alex bites her lip before she continues, “But I've never been able to... I've never been able to figure out dating, you know?”

 

“Yeah,” Maggie says, quietly. “I know, Danvers.”

 

Alex glances at her again and swallows. “I've always just thought that… that I was too young, right? Not everyone finds a boyfriend by their sixth year, and I just figured that I'd find someone I actually _liked_ after I graduated. I mean, I get asked out, and some guys flirt with me, but I've never liked—” Alex frowns as she tries to explain— “being _intimate._ I hated when guys tried to touch me, and I thought I just wasn't… I don't know, built like that. To be with people.” Alex looks down again as she takes a shaky breath. “I didn't think it was about—about the… the _other_ thing.”

 

Maggie reaches out, a little hesitantly, before she places her hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I know it's hard,” she says, softly. “I'm listening, Danvers.”

 

The tension in Alex’s shoulders releases at Maggie’s touch, and she smiles a little. “But now I just can't—I can't stop thinking about what you said and I'm thinking that… that maybe there's some truth. To what you said. What you said about me.”

 

Maggie just smiles and nods again, and Alex takes a deep breath before she stands up straight again. “I should—I really should go. I've got a test in Herbology coming up and I might as well study.”

 

Maggie reaches out and grabs Alex by the arm as she tries to turn away. “Why don't you come play some wizard’s chess with me?” she asks. “We don't have to talk anymore, just… what do you say to one game?”

 

Alex hesitates. She really does have a test coming up (even though she's certainly memorized all the information by now), and studying really _would_ be a good way to spend the two hours she now has on her hands. Alex _knows_ she should say no, that she should insist on heading to the library to read up on herbs, but instead, her face splits in a wide, relieved grin. _I don't want to feel... all of this alone,_ she thinks. “Yeah,” Alex says. “One game.”

 

Of course, naturally, one game turns into twenty and one skipped class turns into a whole day of playing hooky. But for once, Alex doesn't feel guilty, doesn't feel like she's letting herself down, and even though they don't talk about Alex and her revelation any further that day, Alex feels better and lighter than she has in ages.

 

That night, Alex goes to sleep with a smile on her face, and she has the best night of sleep that she has had all year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all idk how im going to live without supergirl for a month.... what the hell.... but either way the last episode's sanvers scenes were so GOOD i cried at least twice


	6. Coming Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie continues to try to become an animagus, and Alex grapples with what to do after realizing she's maybe (definitely) gay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, i'm SO sorry about the longass delay in this chapter. i originally planned for it to be really Maggie-heavy and have it almost entirely from her POV, but this ended up going about a hundred ways differently than I planned and i'm not super happy with it, but... oh well. next chapter will end up having those maggie scenes i planned, so get ready for that!

Maggie stares into the bathroom mirror, wand raised. She takes a breath before she closes her eyes and mutters, “ _Amato, animo, animato, animagus_.”

 

Maggie opens her eyes. _Nothing today, I guess,_ she thinks. She feels a little warm for a few moments, but she certainly isn't on her way to transforming into an animal.

 

This ritual had become a part of her daily morning routine. Get up, get dressed, head to the bathroom, and try to transfigure herself into an animal. A few other members of Dumbledore’s Army were trying to become animagi as well, but most of them treated it as a joke, or just something that would be cool if they managed to figure it out. Maggie wasn't. She hadn't been lying when she told Alex that something like this would give her an edge when she applied to be an auror.

 

Maggie lets out a yawn before she tucks her wand away and turns away to head out of the bathroom.

 

_Maybe tomorrow,_ she thinks.

* * *

 

In the Great Hall that morning, the dining tables are relatively quiet. It's a Saturday morning, and many students are sleeping in today. Maggie, however, is loading her plate up with pancakes and sausages. Owls swoop overhead, dropping off packages and letters to the students who are at breakfast. A rolled newspaper lands with a plop on top of Maggie’s pancakes just as she was about to pour a hefty amount of syrup on them.

 

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she sets down the syrup and reaches for the paper.

 

Maggie’s stomach drops as soon as she reads the headline.

 

**_Four Squib Corpses Discovered_ **

 

_In a startling new addition to what has been a harrowing series of murders, four squib bodies were discovered yesterday afternoon in a creek bed. The bodies appeared to have heavy scar tissue, but the Ministry has not yet determined a cause of death for any of the victims. Each has been identified, however, resulting in four solved missing persons cases and potentially giving way to leads in others like them. Is this a lone killer on the loose, or are squibs the Death Eater resurgents’ next target? More on Pg. 9”_

 

Maggie swallows thickly and places the paper on the table. She stares down at her plate, and feels quite suddenly like she would rather not be eating.

 

“Have you seen the paper?” Lucy asks a Gryffindor boy beside her.

 

The boy nods. “I hope squibs aren't really their next target… I've got a cousin who’s a squib.”

 

Maggie stares down at her plate. Her mouth felt dry, and she didn't want to eat. How could she? Every morning the news was either just negative or downright frightening, and being a half-blooded witch herself did nothing to ease her worries.

 

Maggie closes her eyes and thinks of the animagus spell to distract herself. _Amato, animo, animato, animagus._ She shakes her head and forces herself to eat the still-plain pancakes despite the swirling in her stomach.

* * *

 

 Alex links her arm with Kara’s as they walk down a street in Hogsmeade. They huddle together, grinning as they walk. It has been getting colder for the past month—not quite cold enough to pull out thick coats, but certainly cold enough to give them a little chill in their robes.

 

Kara bumps her shoulder into Alex’s with a big smile. “It's been awhile since we’ve gotten to hang out like this,” she says.

 

Alex pulls her sister in a little closer. “I'm glad that we are,” she says, before she looks back up the street. “Where do you want to go?” She swallows a little as she waits for her sister’s response.

 

Ever since she’d admitted to Maggie that she _just maybe_ had feelings for girls (though she was careful to leave out the details of who _really_ gave her that idea) (because it certainly was more than just the question of “Do you like guys?” that got her thinking), Alex hadn't been able to get it out of her head. The more she thought about it, the more _real_ it started to feel. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she was maybe (definitely) gay. She couldn't stop thinking about maybe (definitely) having feelings for Maggie.

 

But mostly, she couldn't figure out what she was supposed to _do_ with the realization. Was she supposed to keep it a secret? Tell a select few? Shout it from the top of the Hogwarts battlements?

 

_Fuck if I know,_ Alex thinks.

 

“I could kill a man for a butterbeer,” Kara sighs, wistfully. “And _potstickers_.”

 

Alex rolls her eyes and laughs. “You have the weirdest cravings,” she teases, jabbing Kara in her side. “I don't know where the hell we’d get potstickers in Hogsmeade, but no murder necessary for that butterbeer. Wanna go to Three Broomsticks?”

 

Kara nods, eyes wide. Alex laughs again. If there was one thing that could get her sister’s attention, it was the promise of good food and a warm butterbeer.

 

They head down the street towards the pub, passing other students on their way. On days like this, Hogsmeade is overrun by the Hogwarts students, and they can be found all over the small town until the teacher on duty rounds them all up. A few Gryffindors give Kara a grin and a thumbs up as they walk by—Gryffindor had a game against Hufflepuff on Sunday.

 

Kara half-leads, half-eagerly drags Alex into Three Broomsticks. They find themselves a little table in the middle of the room, and in a few minutes, they each have a warm glass of butterbeer before them.

 

“So,” Alex asks, a little slyly. “Big game tomorrow, huh? Got any secrets you want to let me in on, or are you just going to surprise me again? I hope they didn't already promote you to Captain.”

 

Kara blushes, clearly embarrassed, but she laughs it off. “Not yet,” she says. “But maybe by next week I'll usurp Maggie.” She leans in a little closer, grinning. “What about _you_?”

 

Alex’s mouth goes dry, and she hurried to take a long sip of her drink. “Um,” she says, mind immediately going to her recent revelation. “No. Nothing new with me.”

 

Kara looks at her oddly, but leans back to drink her butterbeer. Alex can tell she isn't satisfied with the answer, but thankfully Kara doesn't press any farther. “Did you hear they're going to do a winter ball?”

 

Alex raises a brow. “After what happened last year? That's a surprise.”

 

Specifically, someone (Leslie) had spiked the punch, but that someone hadn't spread the word, and so a few other students (Lena, Owain, Mike, to name a few) _also_ spiked the punch, and by the end of that that punch bowl was almost entirely full of a godawful mix of firewhiskey, dragonblood ale, and a whole lot of cheap muggle bubblegum-flavored vodka. Naturally, the teachers discovered what happened (albeit only after three house elves got terribly drunk and abandoned their chores to try and steal socks from the students’ feet), and banned dances for the rest of the year.

 

“Think you'll go with someone?” Kara asks. “I know you went on that date with Maxwell Lord.”

 

Alex pales again. “Uh… that was a terrible date. And I'm not exactly… I'm not really interested in any guys right now.” It wasn't a lie. It wasn't the whole truth, either, but Alex wasn't so sure she was ready to share that.

 

Kara shrugs. “Yeah, I don't think I'm going with anyone. I'll probably just hang by the snack table.”

 

Alex smirks a little. “You sure you aren't going to be busy doing work for Professor Grant?”

 

Kara lets out a loud groan and leans down to bury her face in the table. Kara was Professor’s Grant only TA, and even though she _technically_ was only responsible for one period, the professor usually gave her work that extended into her free time and included things like making runs to the kitchens to find (low carb, low fat, and very fresh) snacks in the middle of class. Kara, for reasons that escaped Alex, looked up to Professor Grant a _lot_ , but that didn't mean she was always exasperated with the work she received.

 

“I don't care if no one dances with me,” Kara mutters into the table. “I just don't want to be filing papers in the middle of the dance.”

 

The subjects of dancing and boys didn't come up again, but even as they left, even when Kara didn't ask any more questions about it, Alex was still left with a nagging feeling in her stomach. Like she was lying over and over to her sister, and it was starting to make her sick.

* * *

 

“Check,” Maggie says, as her bishop hops to a square in the center of the board. The pair are sitting in the empty Gryffindor tower again, Maggie’s wizarding chess set between them on the floor.

 

Alex clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “Knight to D5,” she orders, and in a brilliant leap, the knight vaults over a pawn and crushes Maggie’s bishop to pieces. “Rookie mistake, Sawyer.”

 

Maggie rolls her eyes as she moves to cross her legs. “Whatever. Pawn to A6.” She glances up at Alex, and a little quieter, she asks, “Hey, Danvers—how are you doing with all that? You know…”

 

Alex nods. “Yeah. I don't know. I just—I guess don't know what to _do_.” She smiles a little as she looks up from the board to meet Maggie’s eyes. “I'm glad I know, it's just… I don't know how I'm supposed to handle it. I mean…” she drops her gaze again. “Maybe it's just a phase?”

 

“Hey.” Maggie reaches over and gently places her hand on Alex’s knee. Alex feels her throat tighten, and she swallows as she looks backup again. “I promise it isn't. It's real. _You're_ real.” She smiles again. “I can only tell you what I did—I came out to my family.”

 

Alex bites her lip, thinking of Kara and the feeling she had earlier. “How'd they take it?”

 

Maggie shrugs. “My dad isn't known for being open-minded, but he took it better than I thought. My mom was upset, at first, because she's always wanted grandkids, but now she wasn't mean about it or anything. Just sad. But she got over that pretty quickly, and she's as supportive as she can be now.”

 

Alex frowns. “I thought about telling Kara, yesterday, but… I don't know, it just freaked me out.”

 

“I'm not saying it's easy,” Maggie says, sitting back up straight. “You do it when you're ready.” She smiled again, and adds, “I'm good for a butterbeer when you do, though.”

 

Alex nods as she stares back down at the chessboard. The pieces are all scuffing their feet and grumbling, clearly impatient. “I'll definitely take you up on that,” she says. “Also, rook to C7.” The black rook straightens up, and charges across the board towards Maggie’s queen. It quickly slams into the white piece and crushes it.

 

“Fuck you, Danvers,” Maggie groans.

* * *

 

Kara stops still near the exit of the Gryffindor common room on Sunday morning. She normally would have passed by without a second thought, but it seemed that someone had recently posted a number of flyers on the bulletin board near the Fat Lady’s portrait. She stands still to study it while a few other girls duck past her to head for breakfast.

 

_Astrology club meets after dinner Friday nights from 7-8PM in the Astronomy tower. Come in for a night of reading the stars, discussions, and snacks._

 

**_RAT RACE CLUB! Got a rat? Want to race it? Join RAT RACE CLUB!_ **

 

_Getting ready for the snow but aren’t sure what to wear? Join Knitting Club--- We meet in the library on Sundays after lunch._

 

There are various other club postings, along with a very odd scrap of paper that simply reads **_D.A._** in large, red letters, pinned to the bottom left corner of the board. But then Kara’s gaze rests upon one that catches her interest.

 

_Are you an aspiring writer? A phenomenal photographer? Excellent artist? Or just hoping to grab as many extracurriculars as you can? Join The Hogwarts Scoop as we work to create Hogwarts’ first-ever school newspaper! For more information, talk to James Olson or join us this Thursday after dinner in the library._

 

_A journalism club?_ Kara thinks, curiously. _That might be fun._

 

She tries to move closer to study it again, but her housemates push her along, shouting about the big game coming up and how she’d better not let Gryffindor get beat again.

* * *

 

Alex and Lena stand together in the Quidditch stands, surrounded by their Slytherin housemates. The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams are just walking out onto the field, and their respective houses break out into cheers. Alex grins as she leans over the railing on their row of the stands.

 

Kara looks over towards the stands, searches for a moment, and then beams and waves as she spots Alex. Maggie follows Kara’s gaze, and sends Alex that typical Gryffindor smirk. Alex can't help but laugh.

 

“You seem pretty excited,” Lena points out, nudging Alex in the side.

 

Alex glances at her friend and shrugs, still smiling. “Yeah, so?”

 

Lena chuckles shortly and moves to lean against the railing beside her. “Nothing, I've just never seen you interested in a Gryffindor game before.”

 

“My sister’s on the team now,” Alex says, a little too quickly. “I'm excited for her.”

 

“Mm,” Lena hums thoughtfully. “Alright.”

 

Alex jolts as Snapper’s amplified whistle blows, and the two teams both mount their brooms. Winn Schott’s voice booms out throughout the field.

 

“The teams are in the air! Today’s sure to be a great game, Gryffindor is going to want to make up for that crushing defeat from their last match, and Hufflepuff isn't going to want to lose their first game. The Quaffle is in possession with Gryffindor’s newest Chaser Kara Danvers, and look at her go! She dives away from Teschmacher, dodges a Bludger, throws for the goal— GRYFFINDOR SCORES!”

 

Alex cheers along with the Gryffindor students, earning her a few odd looks. Lena shakes her head a little as the Quaffle is caught by a Hufflepuff Chaser. “I forgot how hard it is to keep up with everything when _we_ aren't the ones playing.”

 

It was difficult to see what was going on on the Hufflepuff side of the field, since most of the Slytherin house was standing closest to the Gryffindor goalposts. Maggie was leaning back on her broomstick, and though she was surveying the game with a wary eye, she doesn't seem all that concerned. As Kara catches the Quaffle again and starts making her way towards the Hufflepuff goals, she relaxes and smirks.

 

“Danvers is in possession again, and she’s speeding towards the goal— aw, she takes a Bludger to the shoulder and drops it! Teschmacher nabs the Quaffle and flies for Gryffindor! Vasquez and Danvers are in pursuit, but Teschmacher throws—”

 

Maggie dives for the goal farthest to her, and just in the nick of time, she spins around and knocks the ball away with the end of her broomstick.

 

“—Sawyer quickly blocks, and both sides are after the Quaffle again!”

 

Gryffindor erupts into cheers again, and Maggie grins as she slowly floats back up towards the center hoop.

 

Lena notices Alex’s smile, and she nudges her again. “What happened to that whole hating Maggie Sawyer thing?”

 

“She's not all that bad,” Alex grumbles, embarrassed. “When you get to know her.”

 

“Mhmm,” Lena chuckles. “You just aren’t capable of hating people.”

 

_Something like that, maybe,_ Alex thinks, looking back up at Maggie. She feels her throat tighten as Maggie grins and winks at her again. _Or maybe it’s just Maggie._

* * *

 Gryffindor ended up winning the game in a landslide—Hufflepuff had hardly gotten in two goals before Lucy had caught the Snitch and ended the game.

 

The students were just starting to leave the stands, as Gryffindor had finished their victory flight around the field.

 

Alex can’t get down fast enough, because she is flustered, flustered, flustered.

 

Alex tried to focus on Kara as she scored and chased the Quaffle, but every time she found her attention back on Maggie. Fuck, all Maggie was doing half the time was just sitting there on her broom doing nothing, and Alex couldn’t tear her eyes away to watch Kara score again.

 

(God, she was fucked.)

 

Alex was just planning on heading back to the Slytherin dungeons and maybe taking a very, very cold shower when Maggie runs up to her, half out of breath, wearing a shiteating grin. “Hey, Danvers!”

 

Lena elbows her for what must have been the twentieth time that afternoon. “I’m going to head for the kitchen and see if the elves have any leftovers from breakfast. See you later?”

 

Alex doesn’t have the chance to reply as Lena hurries off. Maggie watches her go before she turns back to Alex, still smiling. “So I was thinking,” she says. “I ought to invite you to our party tonight. You know, since you invited me when you guys won.”

 

Alex crosses her arms. “Ought to or want to?”

 

Maggie rolls her eyes. “C’mon, Danvers. I want you there.”

 

Alex laughs. “Alright, I guess I can make an appearance. You think your housemates will want me around?”

 

“Fuck ‘em,” Maggie shrugs. “Besides, you’re Kara’s sister, and I can’t think of anyone in Gryffindor that doesn’t love Kara. Nobody’ll complain, Danvers.”

 

“I’ll be there,” Alex says. “And congrats on the win. The team would kill me if they knew I said it, but you guys are getting really good. Maybe enough to make our next match fun.”

 

Maggie snorts loudly. “What, getting attacked by owls wasn’t fun enough for you?”

 

“Not even close, Sawyer.” Alex glances past Maggie as she sees Kara walking down the field, and she waves towards her. “I’m going to go congratulate Kara, but I’ll be there. What time?”

 

“Right after dinner,” Maggie tells her. “Don’t be late!”

 

As soon as Alex walks away, Maggie is swarmed by eager Gryffindors, who whoop and shout around her. Alex just rolls her eyes as she heads towards Kara.

 

“Alex!” Kara exclaims, beaming. “That game was _so_ awesome! I scored twelve of the fifteen goals.”

 

Alex, of course, doesn’t even know how many goals were scored by Gryffindor, let alone how many of those were Kara’s, but she smiles and nods anyway. “You were great! I’m not looking forward to going against you again.”

 

Kara nods, eyes wide. “Your team is great, though. At least we both have time before the next one!”

 

Alex glances over her shoulder at Maggie. She feels her mouth go dry all over again as Maggie smiles and laughs at something one of the younger Gryffindor students says. _It’s now or never,_ she thinks. “Can I—can we talk?”

 

Kara just smiles. “Of course we can!”

 

“Um…” Alex looks around aimlessly for a moment, trying to think. “You want to walk to the lake? Maybe we’ll see the squid.”

 

Kara laughs and links her arm with Alex’s without any hesitation. “I bet you already see it all the time through those windows in your room!”

* * *

They walk together around the castle and towards the Black Lake. Everyone else is either still on the Quidditch pitch or has headed indoors, so the lakeside is abandoned and quiet. Only a soft breeze disturbs the surface of the lake—no sign of any giant squid or unfriendly mermaids.

 

As they reach the shore, the sisters stand there for a minute, just staring across the lake, before Kara finally breaks the silence. “So what’s up, Alex?” She glances at her, frowning slightly. “You look worried.”

 

Alex bites her lip and looks down. “I, um… It’s just that I, well—I need to talk to you about something. Something about me.” _Fuck, Alex, get on with it,_ she berates herself. _How are you even supposed to_ do _this?_

 

Kara smiles and bumps her shoulder into Alex’s. “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?”

 

“Well, it’s… more about Maggie,” Alex tries, furrowing her brow.

 

“What about her?” Kara asks.

 

Alex clears her throat. “Well, I… I didn’t like her so much when I met her, but we do our potions work together, and we started hanging out outside of class, and playing chess and talking and I— um, started thinking.” She kicks the sand as she tries to find the words. “About her.”

 

Kara frowns. “I don’t understand.”

 

Alex tucks her hands into her pockets. “I mean that I—well, I started to have… um, feelings. For her.”

 

Kara is silent for a few moments, and Alex swallows. “Feelings?” she asks, quietly. “Like…”

 

“Yeah,” Alex looks down at her feet. “Those.”

 

“Oh,” Kara stands still, too still, and Alex isn’t sure what to do or what Kara is thinking.

 

“So I just—” she tries, feeling still at a horrible loss for words. “Maggie thought I should tell you and so—so I just did.”

 

Kara is quiet as she moves to sit down on the shore. She looks up at Alex, and Alex swallows again as she recognizes that familiar crinkle between Kara’s brows. “So Maggie’s… Maggie’s gay?”

 

Alex nods. “Yeah.”

 

“And you’re saying you’re gay, too?”

 

Alex looks away as her throat tightens. “I don’t know, I’m just—I just want to make sense of it all.”

 

“It…” Kara takes a slow breath. “I mean, Alex, it sounds like you’re coming out to me.”

 

Alex is quiet before she looks Kara in the face. Her sister’s expression is unreadable, and Alex’s nervousness just grows. “I… maybe I am.”

 

“Have you… felt like this before?” Kara asks, softly. “Have you ever been with a girl?”

 

“No,” Alex sighs. “Not like this—and I haven't.”

 

“What's different?” Kara asks. “I know dating hasn't really been going your way—”

 

“This isn't because I haven't found the right guy,” Alex cuts her off, sharply.

 

“I didn't mean it like that,” Kara sighs. “Just—” she pats the ground beside her. “Come here. Sit down.”

 

Alex stands still, still frowning. “I don't want to talk about this anymore if you're not okay with it.” For the first time, her voice is firm, and Kara bites her lip.

 

“I'm so okay with it, Alex,” Kara tells her. Instead of smiling, Alex just flinches. “I am, I just want to understand. Sit down with me.”

 

Alex sits down in the sand and hugs her knees to her chest. “You are?” she asks, voice barely above a whisper.

 

“Of _course_ I am,” Kara insists, placing a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I was just surprised, is all. You can talk to me about this.”

 

Alex smiles a little, but doesn't relax her grip around her legs. “I guess… if I am being honest with myself, it's not the first time that I’ve… _felt_ something. I just didn't know it then. You remember Vicki?”

 

Kara nods. “You two were close before you came here.”

 

Alex presses her lips together in a hard line before she speaks. “Yeah. She’s a muggle, remember? We were best friends, and I loved spending time with her. Sleeping over at her house. In her bed." She sighs before she goes on, "I think I felt something then, but then we were fighting over me going away, and we just… drifted apart.”

 

Kara is quiet before she asks, “So what about Maggie?” she smiles and squeezes Alex’s shoulder. “I don't know her super well, but she seems cool. _Maybe_ cool enough for you.”

 

Alex laughs. She wipes at her cheeks—she hadn't even realized that she had started crying—before she looks up at Kara. “I don't know, I just—she’s so smart, and funny, and tough, and she's…” Alex’s smile widens. “Beautiful. She’s so beautiful.”

 

Kara smiles back at her before she pulls Alex in for a hug. “I love you, okay? I’m sorry I freaked you out. You shouldn't have had to be afraid of telling me.”

 

Alex relaxes into Kara’s embrace. “You don't have to apologize.”

 

Kara moves away and sighs. “No, I really do. Whenever we were talking, when we were younger, it was always about me. I didn't make space for you—not enough, that is.” She quickly smiles again. “But you can talk to me about this whenever you want, okay? I've definitely gushed to you about boys enough times for me to owe you.”

 

At that, Alex laughs, loudly. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that.”

 

The two sit there at the lake for a little while longer. They don't talk much for the rest of their time there, but they are content with that, and Alex is more relieved and at ease than she’s ever been in what feels like months.


End file.
